Windows to the Soul
by Pandora Prima
Summary: Angela never dreamed that a simple trip to England would change her life forever. Rated for strong language. H/OC, R/Hr, and D/G later on.
1. A Summer Abroad

Disclaimer: Anything you don't recognize as Jo's is probably mine (i.e. Angela and the plot)

A/N—The Title comes from the idea that the eyes are the windows to the soul.  You will notice that eyes are used to communicate many things throughout this story.

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For at least the hundredth time that day Angela marveled that she was really in London.  This was her first time out of the States and to be in this dream of a city was wonderful.  She fully intended to make as much of her summer abroad as possible.  She was amazed that her grandmother had let her go in the first place.  Not that her grandmother wanted her to be miserable, but she was only sixteen, and, though she was quite capable of taking care of herself after years of practice, her grandmother still had the annoying habit of treating her like she was about eight.  

It helped a bit that Angela had recently inherited an extremely large amount of money from a relative that she didn't even know she had.    This meant, at least, that her grandmother wouldn't have to pay for it.  There was really no reason to even ask, except it was the right thing to do.  That and an adult had to buy her ticket.  But here she was, in beautiful London, alone and truly free to do what she wanted to for the first time ever.  

Number one on her list of things to do was shop.  She'd never had much money before now and she wanted to be able to buy what she wanted just because she wanted it.  After spending a day in Downtown London she started on a small side street full of shops on the second day and immediately saw the bookshop a small distance away.  But then something else caught her eye. 

Right next to the shop was a small tavern, the Leaky Cauldron.  "What a great name!" she thought, "maybe I'll go in and grab something to drink before I go to the book store."   While making her way over to it she noticed that no one else seemed to be going in, or, for that matter, notice it.  "_That's strange.  Maybe it's closed.  I hope not, I'm really thirsty now_," she thought to herself.  "_I suppose it never hurt to try the door_."  She reached over and grasped the oddly familiar doorknob and pulled it open.  

Through the door was a large room dimly lit by candles, bustling with people eating, drinking, or just playing cards.  She stepped in and noticed right away that the people were wearing what seemed to be long robes.  The robes reminded her faintly of Mickey in Fantasia and she looked all around her as she made her way to the bar.  

"What can I get for you young lady?" asked the old, but pleasant looking barkeep, giving her a toothless grin.

"Just a water, please."

"An American, eh?  We don't get many foreigners in here.  Are ya just visiting?" he asked, handing her a glass of water.

"Yes sir.  Thank you for the water.  How much-?"

He cut her off with a wave of his hand.  "Consider it a welcome present to merry ol' England."

"Thanks a lot!"  She said, giving him a grin.

She sat on a nearby stool sipping the wonderfully cold water that seemed to hit just the right spot.  She looked around more, taking in the whole room.  There were stairs that led up to what she could only guess to be rooms. 

"_Like back in the old west_" she thought, "_How cool is that_?"  

After a few minutes she noticed a back door, which seemed to be much busier than the front.  She watched people going through it for ten minutes before curiosity got the best of her.  

"_There's got to be something out there_." She thought to herself.  She turned to ask the barkeep what was through the door, but he was off helping other people.  "_Well, I guess I'll just have to find out for myself_," she thought, finishing her water and setting down her glass before noticing that it was refilling itself.  

She set off determinedly through the crowd to the door in the back.  When she got there she waited for a particularly large group to come through.  Looking around to see that no one else was coming she walked through the worn door.  What was behind it took her by complete surprise.

She stood in a small courtyard facing a solid brick wall.  She looked around and saw a few trashcans, but none of the people she had seen going through the door.  And there certainly wasn't enough room in here for that group that had just come into the tavern.  

"Where the heck did they all come from?" she asked herself out loud.  

As if in response a brick in front of her on the wall began to glow bright red.  She walked over as if drawn to it and did the only thing that she could think was right.  She touched it gingerly with the tips of her fingers.  In no more than ten seconds she stood in an archway leading to a street filled with a very odd assortment of shops.  

She took a step forward and noticed they weren't just any shops.  In front of one sat what seemed to be large pots…they could only be described as cauldrons, which the sign above the shop confirmed.  

Angela looked behind her and noticed the archway had become very solid brick wall again.  _Don't panic_, she admonished herself, looking around.  "Excuse me…"  "Ma'am?"  "Could you…"  She tried to get the attention of the people around her and they all just walked by as if they couldn't see her, too busy with their own lives to even give someone the time of day.

_This could prove interesting_, she thought, taking a final glance back at the wall before setting off down the street.  She looked all around her, not really paying attention to where she was going, hoping that there would be a way back out onto that small side street, or any familiar street where the people weren't dressed in robes and the shops didn't look like they were from before the Industrial Revolution.  To their credit the same people that would pay her no notice did manage to avoid running into her.  Unfortunately, Angela wasn't paying enough attention to where she was going to avoid other people when they couldn't avoid her.  Which is exactly what happened two seconds later when she and a young man carrying packages collided rather solidly, causing him to drop all of them and her to fall over backwards.

"Oh!  Oh!  I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, rushing around on her knees to retrieve the dropped packages.

"Hey…hey!"  The young man grabbed her arm and she was forced to look up into the most amazingly green eyes she'd ever seen in her life.  They were set on a handsome face, though he couldn't be any older than she.  "These're fine.  Are you alright?"  

Angela's eyes couldn't help but notice the small scar shaped like a bolt of lightning running across his forehead.  "I'm…" she tried to lie and say fine, bit the word just wouldn't come.  "Not really, but it's not your fault.  I'm trying to get out of here, and no one will help me…don't suppose you could?"

The young man smiled at her, a brilliantly lopsided grin.  "Of course I could, but only if you allow me to treat you to a sundae."  

Angela couldn't help but smile back.  She helped him to gather the last of the now dust covered packages and he led her over to an ice cream parlor just a bit up the road.

After the waiter had taken their orders (he had ordered a strawberry and hot fudge, Angela just got some vanilla ice cream) they started talking.  

"So, you're an American?"

Angela nodded, looking around the busy street.  This seemed a popular meeting place for lovers, and several people around them were kissing.  

She looked back at the young man, seeing the amused look in his eyes.  "And you're English.  Now that our nationalities are established…my name's Angela."

"Right…I'm Harry."

"What is this place?"

"Diagon Alley.  I'm sure you have something similar to it in America.  You go to Salem, right?"

"Salem as in…the city in Massachusetts, or the city in Oregon?"

"Er…well, I thought it was the Wizarding school in America."

"Wizard?" she asked incredulously  "Is that what these people are?  Wizards?"

"And witches.  Wait.  Are you telling me that you aren't?"

"Um, no.  I knew a Wiccan guy once, but that's about the closest I've been to a wizard or a witch."

"How did you get in here?" Harry asked, looking very surprised.

As she told the story of how she had gotten there, Harry's looks of surprise getting more intense with every sentence.  "And then I ran into you, and well…"

"You've got to be joking.  You're telling me that you could see the Leaky Cauldron and that the right brick glowed red and opened for you when you _touched_ it?"

"Uh, yeah, that's pretty much what I said."

"And you have no knowledge of being a witch?"

"No.  Why would I want to be a witch?  My parents raised me in a Christian home and I'm somewhat certain that witchcraft is against the teachings of Christianity."  Angela said, sounding condescending, even to herself.  Thankfully, Harry seemed to understand.

"Well, there are good witches and bad witches, just like there's good and evil.  It's more of an ability than a religion, contrary to what most people think.  Tell me, have you ever done something that you can't really explain?"

"Not really.  I'm pretty good at explaining anything."

"Not even when you angry or upset?"

"Well, I don't tend to do either of those things very often, so I can't really tell.  Sorry."  She gave him a look that told him that she really did want to help him, but knew she somehow couldn't.

"Well, ok then.  But what we should really do is find someone to talk to…I wonder if Dum-"

He was cut off by a long-fingered hand on his shoulder.  

"Hello, Harry."  A man in long navy robes with silver moons on them spoke up behind Harry.  He wore half-glasses and had light-blue eyes that twinkled as if he had just heard a very funny joke.

"Professor Dumbledore!  We were just talking about coming to see you.  Or rather I was."  He added, seeing the confused look on Angela's face.  "Do you mind if we talk to you for a minute?"

"Not at all Harry, but shouldn't you be in Surrey?"

"Oh, yeah…" Harry turned a very bright shade of pink, obviously having been caught at doing something that he shouldn't have done.  

"Don't worry Harry.  We'll have you back there soon.  With all of your purchases."  He added after seeing the rather large pile of packages, some now with dented corners and dirt smeared on them.  "What was it you wished to talk to me about?"

Just then the waiter brought them their sundaes and seeing Dumbledore made one appear out of thin air.  

"The usual I presume, professor?"

"Of course Florean.  Thank you."  The waiter left, Angela staring at the sundae that had just been made from nothing. "Now, Harry, what was it again?"

"Well, it's Angela."  He said, nodding his head to the overwhelmed looking girl across from him.  

"It's very nice to meet you, Angela."  Dumbledore said, extending a hand.  Angela shook it and was suddenly overcome with a rush of déjà vu.  She'd been here before, shaken hands with this man, exactly like this…it was the sense that she always got when she had dreamed something and then watched it come true.  

Her dreams had started a few years ago and had become more and more frequent as time had passed.  She'd only told her best friend about it, and even Melissa laughed it off as silly.  But she knew that it wasn't.  She had promised herself then, though, that she would not tell anyone else about it.

She smiled at the old man.  "It's very nice to meet you too, Mr., I mean, Professor Dumbledore."  
"Ah, an American! ("_What is it with these people and Americans_?_ Geez_!" Angela thought) you must know Professor Walker, headmaster of Salem!  Great friend of mine."

"See, that's the thing, Professor.  She doesn't go to Salem.  She doesn't know about witches or wizards or magic or any of it."

"I see."  Professor Dumbledore frowned slightly at Harry, who quickly understood it's meaning. 

"I didn't bring her here!  She was in London and saw the Leaky Cauldron and the brick glowed red and she touched it and it opened.  She ran into me right over there."  He finished by pointing out into the street where Angela had collided with Harry not a half an hour before.

"Indeed!"  Said Dumbledore, looking interested, then thoughtful.  His eyes suddenly brightened as he looked at Angela again. "What did you say your last name was?"  

"Well, I didn't but it's Harte.  Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason.  Just curious."  All the same he had a knowing look on his face. "Would you care to go for a walk?"  

"Uh, sure."  She looked over at Harry, who just shrugged and looked as confused as she felt.

"Professor Dumbledore?"  They had been walking for a few minutes but he had said nothing.  He seemed to be deep in thought and as much as she hated to disturb him she had to know.

"Yes, Angela?"  He looked at her with the kindest blue eyes.  He had to be at least a hundred years old, perhaps older, yet he seemed to radiate the energy of a twenty-year old.  

"Why did you want to walk?"

"Well, I wanted to ask you a few questions.  First, your parents.  Charles and Catherine, correct?"

Angela was a bit taken aback.  "Yes sir.  How did you know?"

"I met them once.  A long time ago.  Tell me, have you ever done anything that you couldn't explain, especially when you were angry or upset?"

"Harry already asked me that sir.  I've never done anything that I wasn't able to explain and I don't get angry or upset very often, so, I'm not really sure when I would have."

"Of course you don't…of course you don't" Dumbledore seemed to be in thought again as he mumbled to himself.  "You have siblings, no?"

"Yes sir, three brothers."

"And, are you all alike?  In your dispositions I mean?"

Angela's brow furrowed in thought.  "I've never really thought about it before but no, we're not really.  They are all alike, but I'm much calmer, much more…thoughtful.  Not as rash I suppose.  I guess it's because I'm the only girl." 

Dumbledore smiled at her, that knowing look once again in his eyes.  "Just one more question Angela.  Your dreams of the future, have they started yet?"

This time Angela was caught completely off guard and she forgot about not telling anyone.  "Yes, well, a few years ago they did…wait…my dreams?  How did you know about my dreams?"  She looked up at him defiantly.

"You look like your mother.  Has anyone ever told you that?"

"Of course they have.  And please don't change the subject.  How do you know?"

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows slightly.  Angela sheepishly realized that most people don't talk like that to professors and mumbled an apology.

"It's quite alright.  You have a fire like your mother did."

"How exactly do you know my mother?  I don't think she's ever mentioned anything about witches or wizards…or being British.  Now that I think about it my mother is from Montana."  Angela was getting more and more confused by the second until Dumbledore stopped and looked down at her.  

"Not your birth mother.  Your soul mother."


	2. The Truth About The Past

A/N--Oh, because I forgot to put it on the last chapter and I don't feel like doing that again I'm just going to put it here.  For anyone who has read this before (uh…there aren't many) I rewrote quite a few parts to be more canon and go with what's in OotP.  Just so you know you're not going crazy…though you could be anyway, it's just not my fault this time.

Disclaimer—I own nothing save Angela and the plot.  HA!  Now you can't sue me!

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She hadn't heard him right.  She couldn't have.  

"My…_soul_ mother?"  She heard herself say.  "But, there's not a difference.  I mean, you don't have soul mothers.  God covers the whole soul thing.  I can't…I…"  She couldn't find words.  Her mind just couldn't wrap itself around what she just heard.  Her soul mother.  Soul mother.  

Dumbledore just smiled down at her again.  "Why don't we get back to Harry.  He'll be worrying.  Don't worry.  I think Harry should hear the explanation.  It somewhat involves him."  He added after seeing the curious look on Angela's face.  

They started walking back to the ice cream parlor in silence.   She hadn't noticed where they were going before because they had been talking.  Now she didn't pay attention because her mind was reeling.  How could someone have a soul mother?  What exactly did that entail?  How did it work?  "_Why me_?" was her final thought before realizing something.  

"Professor Dumbledore?"  She spoke so softly that she barely heard herself, but he turned all the same.  

"Yes, Angela?"

"When you said that I looked like my mother, did you mean my…birth mother or my…soul…mother?"

"Both, my dear.  You have your birth mother's features, but Morgan's eyes."

When they reached the ice cream place a few moments later they found Harry staring at his now melted sundae.  He seemed to be lost deep in thought, but looked up when he heard them approaching.  There was a look of concern in his deep emerald eyes that swept from Angela to Dumbledore and back.  

"Perhaps this is a discussion better had at Hogwart's."  Dumbledore suggested.

Harry looked perplexed.  "Er, professor?  How will we get there?  Does the train run in the summer?  Wait…why am I going?  Shouldn't I be getting back?"

"Yes, but not quite yet.  And as for how we will get there, well, we shall Apparate to just outside the grounds.  I'll send your packages ahead Harry."  And with a swish of what Angela could only assume was his wand the packages disappeared.  "Grab onto my robes and we shall leave immediately then."  

With another swish of his wand they were suddenly in front of the most magnificent building Angela had ever seen.  

"Where are we?" she asked, her voice full of awe.

"Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."  Harry said it with a pride and a love that could only come from someone talking about their home.  

"It's beautiful!"  She couldn't seem to look at everything that was around as quickly as her brain was telling her to.  She saw a dark forest on one side and a magnificent lake on the other as they walked through the gates.  The grass was as green as any she had ever seen.  She just knew it would be wonderful to run through it barefoot.  She made a mental note to try it someday. 

But for now…her mind suddenly came back to where it had been.  She had a mother she didn't even know about.  As they walked up the stone steps leading up to the school she couldn't help but wonder, "_What if it is true_?"  They walked into a huge room with a marble staircase going up on one side and another staircase going down on the other.  In her mind she saw hundreds of students lined up in here, talking, waiting to be let into the large doors ahead of her.  Then, it was as if a voice in her mind, more a memory than anything, told her what this room was called.  

_Entrance Hall_.  

"This is the Entrance Hall, right?"  she asked Dumbledore.  Harry looked surprised but Dumbledore only smiled at her.  

"Yes, Angela.  I'm sure you will find your surroundings much more familiar as we walk through the castle.  I'll let Harry take you on a tour later, but for now, let's go to my office."  Angela, somehow knowing the way to the headmaster's office, immediately set off up the marble staircase to his office.  She looked behind her to see an amazed Harry and that knowing look in Dumbledore's eyes again.  

They reached a statue of a gargoyle in the wall and again not knowing how she knew this was the place, but knowing none the same she stopped.

"Hershey Kiss," Dumbledore said.  

The Gargoyle sprang to life and stepped aside as a door slid open.  "Ladies first." Dumbledore said.  Angela stepped onto a stone staircase that was rising spirally.  When they reached the top she saw a beautiful oak door, which Dumbledore stepped ahead of her and opened.  

The door opened to one of the most beautiful rooms she had ever stood in.  It was circular and there were strange objects on tables all around.  And lining the walls were paintings of people…and they were moving!   This came as a shock to most of her mind, and yet the same voice that had spoken before now said, _"As they should be."_   Dumbledore settled himself into a large gilded chair and waved his wand.  Two poofy armchairs appeared and Angela followed Harry's lead and sat in one of them.

Suddenly, her mind filled with a picture of Dumbledore, somewhat younger sitting in the chair.  Her mind came back to the present as Dumbledore cleared his throat.  

"I suppose I should start at the beginning.  About 20 years ago there were two students here, Morgan Fayne and Edward Armstrong.  They were perhaps two of the most magical students to attend Hogwarts, and two of the precious few to be able to do wand-less magic.  They were, respectively, the descendants of Helga Hufflepuff and Rowena Ravenclaw, two of the founders of Hogwarts.  Playing Quidditch, being prefects, and being Head Boy and Head Girl led to their romance and eventual marriage after leaving Hogwarts.  In fact, they graduated just a few years ahead of your parents Harry.  Anyway, Morgan had an amazing vision for the future, having dreams much like yours are Angela.  She saw in her own future a child that would not be born of her, as Voldemort                                                  would not allow it.  The Heir of Salazar Slytherin, another founder, wanted to make sure that the heirs of the other founders would not be able to stop him, as only they would be able to.  Edward and Morgan decided that if they could not have the child then they would give the child the soul and mind to be one of the greatest witches or wizards.  In the soul they implanted all of their knowledge of magic, all of their powers, and a bit of themselves.  They then asked me to find a family that would take care of the soul until it could come to Hogwarts.  I chose your parents, Angela.  There was no telling when fate would bring you here, but Morgan and Edward were murdered just two short months before Harry's parents.  It was one of the hardest losses for me, as they had become very dear friends of mine since they had graduated.  The knowledge that their child would someday come back comforted me.  And here you are."

Angela was flabbergasted.  She just stared at Dumbledore after he finished his story.  She was about to open her mouth to speak when Harry (whom she had even forgotten was there) suddenly spoke up.

"I'm sorry Professor.  As interesting as that was, what does it have to do with me?"

"Well, Harry, there was another prophecy, made by another Seer, and so they were thought unrelated.  However, it seems that there were more criteria to the chosen than simply being born at the end of July.  You are the heir of Godric Gryffindor, Harry.  That is why you were able to pull his sword out of the sorting hat in your second year, why you were put into Gryffindor finally, and another reason why Lord Voldemort seeks to kill you.  He knew that you, and she," he said, nodding at Angela, "would be the only ones able to defeat him, and while you must strike the blow, I believe that we will not get even that far without Angela's help."

"I…what?  Who made the other prophecy?  What did it say?"  Harry scooted forward on his chair so that he was barely resting on it at all.

Dumbledore reached for a bowl that was sitting on his desk.  He took his wand and tapped lightly on the side of the bowl.  A small shadowy figure of a woman rose from the bowl.  She had black hair and a scowling face and Harry gasped as he saw her.

"Bellatrix Lestrange" he whispered, looking at the shadow with a mixture of fear and hatred.

"One day our Lord will rise and you will think you know how to defeat him…but he's not enough!  There should have been another heir, but My Lord made sure the other would not come to pass, and without the other, there will be only victory for the Dark Lord.  He will rise again, greater and more terrifying than before, and you will only be able to watch as he wipes away your precious world."

Angela stared at the shadow as it disappeared.  Harry looked flabbergasted and took in a breath to speak.

Angela, however, felt that if she didn't speak now she would never get the chance.  "At the risk of sounding like a complete idiot, who is Voldemort exactly?  And why do we have to defeat him?  And, how exactly will that happen, since I don't know a damn thing about magic?"  She was feeling a bit frustrated now, having all this dumped on her in just a few short hours.  But Dumbledore just smiled with a slight twinkle in his eye.

"You definitely have your mother's temper.  To answer your questions, Voldemort is a dark wizard; intent on killing as many people as he can, well, people that he doesn't consider 'worthy' to live, wizards and Muggles.  You have to help defeat him to save mankind, which should seem fairly obvious, now that you know who he is.  I do not know how this will happen, as you two are the ones who must do it.  And you are incorrect about not knowing anything about magic.  In fact, you have two complete Hogwart's educations in your mind.  You just have to give them time to come out.  And they will.  But for now you need to rest.  You may stay in Gryffindor Tower for now, but you will be properly sorted at the beginning of the year.  I must owl the professors that do not stay here over the summer and see if they are willing to come back and try to see if we can catch you up to at least fifth year.  I believe you both know the way.  And the password is 'purple rose.'"

With that Harry got up, obviously wanting to get away and think about what he had just seen, and walked out the door, but Angela just sat there, dumbstruck.  

"What do you mean at the beginning of the year?  I can't stay!  I have a family in America!  I have a _life_ in America!  I can't just up and stay here!  And I have a perfectly good hotel room that I can go back to, thank you very much."

Dumbledore looked slightly taken aback at her response.  "Have you not listened?  We need you, Angela.  You're needed to help defeat the Dark Lord.  And he _must_ be defeated.  You cannot deny your soul, Angela.  As hard as you may try.  If you go now, it will only to be to come back later, and I believe that you know that.  As for your family, they will be advised as to your whereabouts.  I do not believe your grandparents know, but your parents know that they are not the makers of your soul.  If you would like we can tell your grandparents something different for now, but you will have to tell them eventually."

"Tell them what?  That I'm a witch?  Everything they have taught me my whole life goes against this.  Every part of me is screaming that this is wrong!"  She paused there, thinking that wasn't quite true.  The voice in her head, and a growing part of her mind was saying this was more right than anything in her life.  And she couldn't deny how badly she would love to get away from her past.  "_Maybe here I can forget it all_," she thought as her mind raced through bad memory after bad memory from her childhood.  "_If not here, then where else_?"

As if he could read her mind Dumbledore smiled at her.  "Very well, I will stay here for tonight," she said with a scowl.  "I will think over everything and let you know if I will stay longer," she added, already knowing full well that she would.  At least for the summer.  She walked out the door and to her right, following a path that was more familiar than any she had ever walked.  It was if she had been there for years.  When she got to the portrait of a fat lady in a pink dress she said 'purple rose'.  The painting, which smiled at her, swung open to reveal a round hole in the wall.  She climbed through it into another beautifully decorated living room looking area.

"Welcome to the Gryffindor Common Room" Harry said behind her, making her jump.

"I didn't hear you come in."

"Well, I was already in here… I didn't stay and listen to you talk to Dumbledore.  I'm not really sure what room you're supposed to stay in, but if you would like I could take you on a tour of the castle."  He offered her his hand, which she studied for a second before taking.  "_This might not be half bad after all_," she thought to herself as they went back through the portrait hole.

* * *

Angela sat in her bed some time later, thinking about the days events.  She had easily found the girl's dormitory and found her stuff from the hotel behind a door label "Sixth Years."  For a moment she was slightly irritated that Dumbledore presumed that she would stay, even after she had told him that she might not, but that only lasted for a moment as she realized it could probably all be moved back just as easily.  She sat on her bed thinking about all that she had learned that day.  She wanted to tell someone.  Someone who didn't already know.  She wanted to tell Melissa.  

Her best friend for five years, she told everything to Melissa.  But how could she possibly tell this?  Would Melissa even believe her?  And how would she send a letter anyway?  Dumbledore had mentioned something about an owl earlier, but that could just as easily mean something else.  Without even thinking about it she got up and headed for his office.  It was worth asking, and she did have the fate of the world to dangle over his head.  She thought about that for a moment with a grin playing across her face.  She'd never had power over anything, much less the world.  But she knew she could never use something like that to get what she wanted.  If she got it, it would be gotten fairly.

Before she knew it she was back in front of the Gargoyle.  "Hershey Kiss" she told it and it sprang to life again.  As she stood on the rising stairs she thought about how she would ask him, and if he would even be able to provide what she asked for.  She knew that wizards and Muggles used different means of communication, but if it required magic she didn't think she would be able to do it yet.  When she got to the top she took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

"Come in" she heard through the door, and she stepped through it for the second time that day. "Is everything alright Angela?"  Dumbledore looked at her, concern in his bright blue eyes.

"Yes, fine.  I was just wondering…." She hesitated, knowing that she was going to feel like an idiot asking, but she had to ask.

"Yes?  What is it that I can do for you?"

"Well, I was wondering if there's a …a phone that I could use."

"Ah.  Well, we don't have one in the castle, as it wouldn't function, and no one would use it.  But I suppose I could magic one for you.  You want to call your grandmother I presume?"

"Yes. I told her I would call and let her know that I got back to my hotel all right.  I hope she doesn't call there looking for me…" she hesitated before telling him whom else she had wanted to call.  "I also wanted to call my friend.  I have to talk to someone about this…someone who knows me…I mean, not that you don't know me, you obviously do, but someone else, not that there's anything wrong with talking to you but-"

Dumbledore cut her off, chuckling slightly.  "I understand completely Angela.  And if you like we could put one in your room.  But only for the summer.  If you stay for the school year you will have to send letters by owl."

Angela nodded her understanding and looked gratefully at Dumbledore. 

"Come, Angela.  I will walk with you back to Gryffindor Tower.  I need to discuss something with Harry.  Speaking of Harry, perhaps he will take you on a tour of the castle later?"

"Oh, he already has.  It was just as I remembered it.  I mean, I've seen it in my dreams.  I didn't know it was this place, but it was.  I can't wait for winter though, I've never seen snow really, and it snows a lot here."  She heard what she had said and quickly added, "That is if I stay, sir."

Dumbledore merely smiled and gave her the look like he already knew what she would do.  

"Sir, if I may.  What will I be studying this summer?  And, are there any, um…books that I can read to try and get ahead?"

"Well, since you are the age of a sixth year, you will be entering as such. Therefore, we must teach you five years of magic in two short months.  It helps that you already know it all," he added with a twinkle in his eye.  

"I wish I felt like I knew it all.  I don't think I've ever felt less like I know it all in my life."

"It will all come back to you.  I promise.  Back to your original question.  You will be studying Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology, Potions, Defense against the Dark Arts, History of Magic, Astronomy and two of the following…Arithmancy, Divination,  Muggle Studies, and Ancient Runes.  Normally you would be able to choose Care of Magical Creatures, but our teacher for that is on…vacation, and it's not a subject that your parents took, so it would take you too long to learn.  

"Why only two?  I don't think I need Muggle Studies, if that is what I think it is, but I would like to try the other three, if that's possible professor."

"We'll see…your father was the same way.  Quite the eager learner."

Angela blushed a bright shade of pink.  She'd never thought she'd hear someone say she'd inherited brains from her father.  

"The text books for all of the classes will be taken to your dorm for you to refresh your memory.  I hope to get the lessons started first thing on Monday, so that gives you a bit less than a week to go over them.  And unless I'm mistaken, Harry will be here to help you as well.  Here we are."

They had reached the Fat Lady already.  

"Purple rose" Dumbledore said to the painting. 

"Yes, of course, professor," the painting replied, as she swung open.


	3. Where There's a Will

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Angela and the Plot.  And whatever else Jo Rowling didn't invent.

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Angela lay in her bed talking to Melissa on the phone for hours.  She told her everything, and just as she thought would happen, Melissa didn't believe a word at first.  After a while though, Melissa accepted it.  

"I best get to come see you sometime.  And I better get a letter or phone call at least once a week."  

"Don't worry Melz.  It'll be at least twice a week.  You will know everything that goes on here.  Trust me."

"Alright.  Well, I'm sure you've run up a huge phone bill already talking to me, so I'll let you go."

Angela was pretty sure that there would be no phone bill, but she had to call her grandmother anyway, so she said goodbye.  She then dialed the number to her grandmother's house.  She lied easily, a habit she had developed many years back to protect herself, and was soon off the phone.  

She lay on her bed staring at the canopy on the bed, thinking about what she would do.  She knew she had to help.  If she didn't, who would?  She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear the soft knocking on the door.  She did hear Harry call through it to her though.  "_He must think I'm asleep_!" She thought to herself, as she went to the door to let him in.

"Hey, Angela.  Did I wake you up?" he asked, entering the room and sitting on the bed next to the one she had settled in on.

"Nah.  I just got off the phone.  It's way to early to sleep anyway."  She saw him glance dubiously at the clock beside her bed. She looked at it and gasped.  It was almost midnight!  "Well, maybe not way to early.  What did you need?"

"Well, I wanted to talk to you.  Dumbledore came and talked to me about staying here and helping tutor you this summer.  I told him I would think about it, but I really want to.  I definitely don't want to go back to the Dursley's," he said, his green eyes darkening in hate.  He had explained all about his aunt and uncle and cousin and the story of his parents and his scar while they were touring the castle.   "But I wanted to make sure that you don't mind me being here.  I mean, I know what it's like to find out shocking news, especially about your parents.  There are all the questions and then, for a while, you just want to be alone to think it through.  So, if you don't want me to stay, then I'll go."  He looked at her, his green eyes full of hope. 

"Of course I don't want you to go!  I'll need someone to talk to sometimes, someone who remembers what it's like not to know everything.  I feel like a freshman all over again!  It's always nice to have someone familiar with the territory there to help you through.  If I want to be alone, I'll tell you, don't worry."

Harry's face brightened with a grin and he jumped up and said, "Great!  I'll go tell Dumbledore my decision," and he raced out of the room.  "Good night!  See you in the morning!"  

Angela sighed and pulled on her pajamas.  This was definitely going to be the weirdest summer ever.

* * *

Angela sat with Harry on the couch a few weeks later, going over the spells she had been working on in Transfiguration.  This was easily her favorite class so far, but that may have been the teacher.  Professor McGonagall, the transfiguration teacher during the school year, had been unable to come back during the summer, due to an illness in her family, so Angela was learning from Dumbledore himself.  Well, not learning, per se, more recalling with the help of.  

In the past three weeks she had quickly gone through Potions (Snape was terrible…the teacher her parents had had was much kinder and Angela mostly tuned Snape out and set her mind to remembering the lessons her parents had been given), Charms with Professor Flitwick (another of her favorites), Herbology with Professor Sprout, History of Magic (with a ghost, Professor Binns…Angela remembered him alive and was quite shocked to see he had passed), Astronomy with Professor Sinistra, and Defense against the Dark Arts with Professor Lupin.  He wasn't the new teacher for the year, but had come on Dumbledore's request to help Angela.  She was very grateful and thoroughly enjoyed all of his lessons.  Next thing she was going to learn was Ancient Runes and she couldn't wait.  

Harry had been a huge help through it all.  When she got tired of studying they would go on walks around the lake or Harry would give Angela flying lessons.  These were easily the best parts of the days they happened to come on.  Angela had never felt freer than when she was 100 feet up in the air.  It was something that she couldn't even explain to Harry, though she had the feeling that he understood.  

She turned out to be a natural at this (Dumbledore told her that her father had been the seeker on the Quidditch team for Ravenclaw, her mother a chaser for Hufflepuff) and most of their flying "lessons" turned into simply flying.  She often flew out over the woods and to the mountains.  She could think more clearly in the air than anywhere else.  Harry had tried to teach her Quidditch, but she seemed to have only inherited her parent's flying abilities.  She couldn't catch anything from her broom.  "Just as well," she told him, after dropping the Quaffle again, "I wouldn't want to play anyway.  I'd probably get smacked by a bludger when I wasn't paying attention"  

Angela had also met all of the ghosts that lived in the castle at one point or another.  She talked to Sir Nicholas often and had even had a conversation, albeit a very short one, with the Bloody Baron.

Her least favorite of the 'ghouls' at Hogwarts was Peeves.  She met him one day when she and Harry were heading back to Gryffindor Tower.  He had tried to drop a trashcan on them from several floors above.  They had both heard the cackling, though Harry identified the source when he pointed out the odd looking poltergeist above them.  He had seen the trashcan coming at them and tried to pull Angela out of the way, but she just raised her hands, shouting "_Gelo!_"  Ice blue streaks of light had flown out of both of her hands and hit the trashcan and Peeves, freezing them both in mid-air.  She had then waved her right hand towards the trashcan, and Peeves was stuffed in it in a second.  She allowed the trash bin to fall the rest of the way, clanging to a stop a few feet in front of them.  Angela had gone over and introduced herself to the squashed Peeves, before walking away laughing, leaving a squealing Peeves in the trashcan.  Harry had given her an astonished look before laughing himself.

"No one but the Bloody Baron has been able to control Peeves!"

"Yeah, well…I'd rather talk to Will any day, if given the choice between him that bastard back there."

"Uh…Will?" Harry looked at her, obviously confused.

"Baron William Phillip Blair, the Third.  He's actually very nice.  Quiet, a bit creepy perhaps, but nice."

"You…talked to the Bloody Baron??  I don't even think Slytherins talk to him and he's their house ghost."

"You just have to know how to talk to him.  That's all."  Angela left it at that, not wanting to elaborate.  She and Harry walked the rest of the way to the common room in silence.

She and Harry got to know each other very well, taking their evening strolls.  It was very fascinating to her to hear of his adventures in the first five years.  He told her all about his two best friends.  Angela was most anxious to meet Ron and Hermione, especially after hearing all of his tales of what they had done over the years.

She in turn had told Harry about her life in the States.  About her birth parents and all of her relatives and how completely different it all was from England.  He was eager to hear all about her brothers, though when he said out loud that he wanted a brother she was quick to say "No you don't.  Really.  I promise you don't."   

The hardest part about all of it was thinking about leaving.  She knew that she didn't want to leave.  She somehow felt more at home at Hogwart's than she had anywhere else and more than anything wanted to stay here.  But how?  How could she possibly explain to her grandmother that she wanted to go to school in England, much less a school to learn how to be a witch?  How do you tell someone that you've known your whole life that you're not at all who even you thought you were?  

She brought this up to Professor Dumbledore in the last Transfiguration class, after she easily turned a badger into a lion cub.  

"Well, we could work something out, I suppose," was all Dumbledore had said.  It was blatantly obvious by his tone that he disapproved of her not telling her grandmother, but how could he understand?  How could anyone?

A few days later, after her Runes lessons (which were considerably easier than she had thought they would be) Harry met her and said that Dumbledore needed to speak to her.   As they walked together to his office she asked what he had been doing, since he couldn't tutor her in a subject he knew nothing about.

"Just practicing Quidditch.  I'm trying to get back into the swing of things, after not being able to play most of last year and we're going to have to find some decent players this year, as all of the chasers, including the captain, graduated.  How's Professor Vector doing?"

"I don't think she likes me very much.  I'm not struggling like most of her students do, I suppose," she said in answer to Harry's confused look.  "She gave me a four foot essay to write completely in Runes.  I don't even think Seventh Years have to do things like that.  Oh well," she said, sighing slightly, "It could be worse.  It could be on another Goblin rebellion or some rare potion that only Snape and God know about."

Harry chuckled at the last one.  "I'm pretty sure there are a few of those potions around, actually.  I'm surprised Snape never tried to take points off of you."

"He did, didn't I tell you?"  Harry shook his head.  "Oh!  Well, see, the teacher my parents had was much more…erm…satisfactory than Snape.  I sort of made it a habit to tune out Snape and just remember the lesson from my parents.  Well, one day I was about halfway through with the potion when he stopped talking and turned around.  He tried to take 15 points from Gryffindor for starting before he told me to.  I had to explain to him that first of all, I'm not really in Gryffindor.  Not yet at least.  And second, why should he be mad when he's just trying to catch me up?  'Isn't it faster if I work faster than you talk?'  He didn't like that at all."  Angela added with a laugh, remembering the rather nasty face that Snape had made that day.

"Remind me later that I have a question for you," Harry said as they approached the Gargoyle.  

"Hershey Kiss" they both said at the same time.

They looked at each other and laughed again as they climbed onto the stairs.

Dumbledore was waiting for them in his office, which they entered after knocking.  This time he wasn't alone though.  One new thing was a beautiful red and gold bird that hadn't been there the last time.  The other was one of the last people Angela had ever expected to see at Hogwart's.

"Mom?"

What was her mother doing here?  Here of all places?  

"Yes, honey.  It's me." Her mother was smiling at her.

Harry let out a low whistle.  "Wow.  You really do look like her.  You two could be twins!"

"Thank you, Harry.  What are you doing here mom?"

"I believe I can explain that."  Dumbledore spoke for the first time.  "You see, your mother is going to move to London, and you can tell your grandparents that you decided to move here with her and go to school here.  They don't need to know what kind of school it is yet."

It was brilliant and it would work.  But how had Dumbledore arranged it?

"How did you guys do this?  I mean, I think it's brilliant, but, are you really willing to leave your life in America for me mom?"  

"Of course I am!  You're my daughter!"

Angela stared disbelievingly at her mother.  Never in her entire memory had her mother ever given up anything for her.  Never.

"And besides," Her mother continued, "It's only for a year.  Then you can say that you want to stay at the school when I go back to the States."

A thought suddenly occurred to Angela.  "How exactly are you paying for this mom? I mean, last I heard you didn't even have an apartment in the States!"

"The school will cover her living expenses while she is in England, as well as provide nicely for her future," Dumbledore said in a reassuring voice.

Angela was far from reassured.  "_So that's why she's doing it_" she thought to herself, "_I should have known she'd never do anything like that without getting something for herself out of it_."

"Thank you, mom.  I appreciate it a lot.  Thank you too, Professor Dumbledore.  Unfortunately, I have a rather long Runes essay to write by tomorrow, so if you will excuse me."  And with that she turned and walked out the door, leaving her mother and Dumbledore somewhat dumbstruck.  Harry followed her down the stairs and into the hall.  

She walked as quickly back to Gryffindor Tower as she could before she started crying.  She could barely say the password when she reached the fat lady, but she got it out nonetheless.  She collapsed on a sofa nearest the fireplace and burst into tears as soon as she sat down.  She didn't even hear Harry come in the room, or feel him sit next to her.

"What's wrong, Angela?"

Startled, Angela looked up into his face, which was etched with concern.  "I-what do you mean what's wrong?" she hurriedly wiped the tears that were streaming down her face, only to have them be replaced by fresh ones.  

"Well, isn't this good news?  I mean you wanted to stay and to have an easy way to tell your grandparents and this is it, isn't it?  What more could you ask for?"

"A mother who would do it simply because she loves me and wants what's best for me to start with."

Harry gave her a startled look.  "What do you mean?  I'd give anything to have a mother do for me what yours is doing for you.  Actually, I'd give anything to have a mother," he finished with a rather sad note in his voice and a faraway look in his eyes.

"You can have mine if you want her.  I don't need her."  

Angela sat angrily, tears still streaming down her face.  She closed her eyes and tried to imagine what it would be like to have a real mother.  To have a mother that loved her so much that she would die for her.  She knew full well that if it had been Catherine Harte and baby Angela that night instead of Lily Potter and Harry, Angela would be dead, as would Catherine.  "Your mother loved you enough to die for you Harry.  I don't believe mine does.  And I think that it would be better to have the knowledge that you were that loved and that you lost it than to have the knowledge that you'll never have that kind of love.  I know," Angela said all this without opening her eyes.

Just then she felt the softest touch of lips on her cheek.  They touched anew at every tear that was coursing down her face.  She didn't dare open her eyes for fear that it would end.  A gentle hand caressed the side of her face.  She finally opened her eyes to look into the endless green of Harry's.  

Even the simple task of breathing seemed difficult right now.  They stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like hours, his hand never leaving his face.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're beautiful?" Harry asked in almost a whisper.

She could only shake her head.  The tears still slid silently down her face as he spoke again.  

"Your gorgeous hair is the perfect blend of auburn and brown.  Your skin is so smooth and soft and perfect," he slid his hand over her cheek, as if to emphasize the point, "And your eyes.  I've dreamed about your eyes, with their mysterious mix of green and brown.  You have no idea how hard it's been."

He was right about that.  Angela had never looked at Harry as more than a friend.  She had always assumed that he had a girlfriend, with his good looks he had to.  But looking at him now, she had no idea how she had not seen him like this before.  Now it was her turn to speak, as she ran her hand through his unruly jet-black hair.

"I love how your hair does it's own thing, and how you try to flatten it constantly.  You've got to know that it will never work.  At least I hope it won't.  But you're one to talk about eyes.  I could get lost in your eyes."

Angela thought to herself, "_How could I possibly have missed this?  As much time as we spend together_."  Harry began to slowly move his head towards hers, while gently tilting her head with his hand.  For one perfect moment their lips met.  The world around them dissolved and they were unaware of anything for that one perfect moment.

A perfect moment, which was very suddenly brought to a halt by a rather loud tapping noise on the window.

Harry groaned as he looked towards the window.  He got up and crossed the common room to the window and opened it.  In flew the largest bird that Angela had ever seen up close.  Panicking she threw her hands over her head and prepared to be attacked. 

"Don't worry, it's just Hedwig.  My owl."  Harry reassured her, laughing slightly.

"Your…owl?  Why do you own an owl?  Especially one on the endangered species list?"

She looked at the owl, which glared back at her with what almost looked like jealousy.

 "Well, she brings me my mail for one," he said, pulling a letter off of her leg.  "She's also a good friend.  We've been through a lot together.  She was the first real birthday present that I got…from Hagrid on my eleventh birthday."

"Ah, I see.  Who's the letter from?" she asked, leaning on his shoulder to look at the letter. 

"Ron!  I wonder if Hermione's at the Burrow.  That's the Weasley's house," he added, obviously noticing her confusion.  "Hermione was supposed to come and spend a few weeks there.  Depending on when you finish catching up I may go and spend a few days myself.  I'm sure you'd be invited, if you wanted to come.  I could ask Mrs. Weasley for you."

"That sounds wonderful.  I'll let you read your letter.  I still have a Runes essay to write."

She got out some parchment, quills, and ink and headed over to a table in the corner to write her essay.  She got through three feet easily, but started struggling after that.  It wasn't the letters she was having trouble with.  It was the content of the essay itself.  There was only so many ways you could talk about runes and she had covered most of them.  She finally finished her essay at one thirty in the morning and promptly put her head down and fell asleep.

She never stirred when Harry came down and put a blanket over her shoulders and whispered, "I love you, Angela," in her ear.


	4. No Time For Fear

Disclaimer: I'm not Jo.  Don't sue me.

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After Runes was Arithmancy, which Angela had been dreading.  She'd never been real strong on numbers.  Apparently her dad had been though, so it wasn't as hard as she thought it would be.   

Angela and Harry's relationship also grew over the next week and a half.  Harry never missed an opportunity to tell her she was beautiful, or to give her a kiss.  They spent his sixteenth birthday with each other, just enjoying each other's company.  She gave him a Muggle book that she had bought in London the day before she had discovered Diagon Alley. 

"_A Brave New World_?" he had asked, as he looked up at her questioningly.

"Well, it's a really good book.  I didn't actually buy it for you, but it's all I had and I thought you would enjoy it.  I'm sorry it's not much."  She looked away, embarrassed that she had not been able to give him a better gift.  

"Hey, look at me," he turned her head with a gentle finger on her chin,  "It's wonderful, if only because it's from you."  He had then kissed her.  They spent the evening together by the fireplace in the common room, simply enjoying each other.  

Their evening strolls soon became the highlight of both their days, and what was once just a walk around the lake quickly became two-hour journeys over the grounds.  They often did not get back in until after dark, but they didn't push it too far as they knew Dumbledore would worry if they were out too late after dark.  They held hands and talked about whatever topic seemed to come up.  One night Angela admitted to Harry something that she never thought she would tell anyone.

"It's amazing how much I think of Morgan and Edward as 'Mom' and 'Dad'.  They certainly helped me a great deal more than my birth parents.  All they ever did was whatever they wanted.  I know it would mean that I wouldn't be alive, but I don't think that they should have had children.  I mean, they were just so…well, you've met my mother, you know."

Harry had indeed gotten to meet Angela's mother over breakfast the morning after their first kiss.  To his complete disgust Angela was right.  The woman cared about nothing but herself.  When he had told Angela about the encounter he had also told Angela that he had wanted to scream at her mother. 

"Why would you do that?"  Angela had asked.

"I wanted to force her to see what a wonderful person she was hurting."  Harry had replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

This had, of course, caused Angela to blush profusely.  No one had ever defended her, or even, to her knowledge, had the desire to.

Angela marveled daily at the ease with which Harry got to her heart.  No one had ever been able to reach her like that, and as much as she enjoyed it, it still scared her a lot.  There were a few other things that she was nervous about.  As they were walking around the lake one night she had finally had the courage to bring one of them up with Harry.

"Harry?" she tentatively said as she watched the giant squid in the lake.

"Mmm-hmm?"  He sounded closer than she had thought, and she turned to see his emerald eyes gazing at her.  

"Well, if it's not personal, what was in that letter from Ron?"

"Oh!  I haven't even thought about it.  He said that Hermione was there and that he wanted me to stay at the Burrow at the end of the summer."

"Oh.  Are you going to?"  she asked, hoping the trepidation she felt hadn't come through in her voice.  

"I told him that I would love to, but not without you.  You didn't think I'd leave you behind, did you?"  he asked, bending down to kiss her full on the lips.

"Of course not, it's just…I don't know.  I'm kinda worried that Ron and Hermione won't like me."

"They'll love you!  You've got a great sense of humor, which Ron will like, and you study like Hermione.  You'll get along with them both, I promise."  He looked up at the sky, which was getting very dark now.  "We should get back though.  We don't want Dumbledore to worry."

Angela laughed.  "As long as I'm with you, I doubt that Dumbledore will worry about me.  Anyway, what is there to worry about?"

"Well, there are things," a look of fear flashed across his eyes ("_He must be talking about Voldemort_" she thought to herself) "that I'm sure Dumbledore worries about."

They began walking back towards the castle, hand in hand when suddenly they stopped.  They could both feel it.  Angela's two middle fingers on each hand felt as if they were on fire, and Harry clapped a head to his forehead, grimacing.

"_He's here_." She thought, looking wildly around.  Then she saw something that made her heart stop.

Two glowing, evil red eyes just outside the gate.

She knew that he couldn't come through the gates, simply because Harry was there as Dumbledore had put a protective spell on Harry that encompassed the entire grounds.  There were just too few people around to watch Harry and keep him safe that Dumbledore had felt it necessary.  Voldemort couldn't touch Harry as long as he was inside the gates.  But that wouldn't stop Voldemort from trying to hurt Harry as much as he could.

Harry was now on the ground, clutching his forehead, obviously in a lot of pain.  Without hesitation, Angela knew what she had to do.

She knelt and kissed Harry on the top of his head then began walking resolutely towards the gate.  She knew she couldn't kill him, not alone, but she had to make him leave Harry be.

She didn't know what she would do, but she never wavered as she shouted at Voldemort.  

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

The eyes turned to her, showing surprise for a moment as if he hadn't seen her before.  The surprise quickly gave way to a cold grin as Angela's hands exploded with pain.  She clenched her fists, trying to ease the pain.  She then muttered an incantation that she had never heard before. "_Subsisto Dolor!_" and her hands were suddenly pain free. She unclenched her fists and smiled at Voldemort, the cruelest grin she could manage, telling him that it hadn't worked.  She stopped about ten feet from the gate and Voldemort. 

"I see you are stronger than young Potter.  No matter.  I can still kill you just as easily," he said in a high, chilling voice.

"I wouldn't bet on it," Angela heard herself say, her courage growing by the minute from somewhere deep inside her.

"Dumbledore's protective charm only protects Harry.  He neglected to protect you, which tells me that even he thinks you are dispensable."

"Or that he knows I can take care of myself," she said, glaring hard at the tall man before her.  "Now, leave him be," she added, through clenched teeth.

"You have spirit.  I like that.  It's always fun to crush a spirit before killing.  Means you get to hear a lot more begging. _Crucio!_"

With lightning quick reflexes Angela raised her hand and shouted "_Confuto!_"

There was a small explosion a few feet from Angela as the spells collided, Angela's stopping Voldemort's, just as it should.  A look of shock spread over Voldemort's evil face.

"Care to try again?"  Angela asked coldly, still staring unwaveringly at Voldemort. 

His eyes narrowed again, looking angrier than he had before.  "Perhaps I'll simply kill you instead.  I hear enough begging from my followers.  Besides, it will be fun to see Potter cry over you."  With that he let our a high, cold laugh before shouting "_Avada Kedavra!_" A green light shot out of the end of his wand.

Angela was ready this time.  Her hand still up she shouted "_Desino Mortis!_"   A blue light shot from her fingertips.  As the two lights met, the blue enveloped the green, and disappeared. 

"How- THAT CURSE IS SUPPOSED TO BE UNBLOCKABLE!"  Voldemort roared.

"Apparently not.  I don't think you want to try that again.  I can't kill you, but if you want me to try, I will.  Otherwise, I suggest you leave."

Voldemort didn't move a muscle.  "NOW!" she screamed.

"Don't think this is the end of this.  I will get you.  Eventually, I get everyone."  Voldemort vanished with a pop.

Angela took a deep, shaky breath.  Now that it was over she had time to be scared. She turned and expected to see Harry coming towards her, or at least waiting for her.  She saw neither.  She began to run to where he had been.  As she grew closer she saw the limp form of his unconscious body.

"Harry!"

She rushed over to where he lay.  It was obvious that he had passed out from the pain.  Knowing again what she had to do, she magicked a stretcher and began to quickly float him to the castle.

Dumbledore met her at the top of the stone steps.

"Professor!  We were walking and Voldemort was at the gates and Harry's passed out from his scar!  He's gone now, professor," she added, seeing his eyes dart toward the gates.  He gave her a questioning look.  "I'll explain later.  We need to get Harry in right now."

"Of course."

They walked quickly to the hospital wing, which seemed eerily quiet.  The school nurse had gone away for the summer, so she was not there to brood over Harry as he told her Madam Pomphrey had a way of doing.

They laid him on a bed and Angela quickly pulled up a chair and took Harry's hand. 

"Angela?"  She heard Professor Dumbledore, and looked up at his expectant blue eyes, obviously anxious to hear about what had happened.

"Professor, could it wait until Harry wakes up?  I'd like him to hear it, but I don't want to have to tell it twice."

"Of course, Angela."  Dumbledore went into the nurse's office, perhaps to think, or to give Angela some privacy, while they waited for Harry to awaken. 

When Harry woke a half hour later he slowly opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Wha- what happened?" he asked in a groggy voice.  Suddenly his eyes got very wide and he sat bolt upright on the bed.  "Voldemort!  He's here!"  he started to get out of the bed.  

Angela stopped him, trying to tell him to settle down.  "Harry.  Harry!" he finally looked at her.  "He's gone."

"But…how?"

"Well," she started.  Just then Professor Dumbledore came out of the office and walked over to the bed.  Angela looked at both of them.  "I guess I'll start with the walk."  

As she explained the events of earlier that night Harry looked more and more astonished.  Dumbledore, however, didn't bat an eye until Angela reached 'Avada Kedavra' and how she had blocked it.

"Interesting!  Very interesting!  I knew your mother had developed a block for the Cruciatus Curse, but not Avada Kedavra.  That spell was developed to be unblockable."  He had a very thoughtful expression on his face.

"You mean, that's not a normal spell?  I thought Voldemort was just being dense when he said it was unblockable."

"It is a very unusual spell indeed.  You are now one of two people to live once Voldemort had decided to kill you."  He looked at Harry, who was still staring at Angela, as if he couldn't believe what she had said. "This also, I think," Dumbledore continued "explains why your mother asked me to come to their house the night they were murdered.  She said she had wonderful news, and this is wonderful indeed.  What was the incantation again?"

"Desino Mortis.  From the Latin I remember from school that means 'stop death'."

"Indeed.  I wonder, however, if there is not something else you must do for the spell to work…Perhaps it is similar to another powerful protection spell.  Tell me, were you feeling any emotion particularly strongly when you performed the spell?"

"What do you mean feeling?  Why would feeling have anything to do with a spell working?"

Dumbledore opened his mouth to answer, but Harry, having finally come out of his stupor, beat him to it and answered first.

"Well, the spell you have to use to protect yourself from Dementors requires you to be very happy or thinking a very happy thought at the time."

Dumbledore smiled at Harry.  "Precisely. So, can you think of what emotion, if any, you were feeling when you did this spell?"

Angela thought back and tried to remember exactly what had happened.  "_Well_," she thought to herself, "_he had been talking about…Harry.  He wanted to hurt Harry by killing me_!"  With a start she realized what emotion this had made her feel strongly.

She looked over at Harry, then up at Dumbledore.

"Love."

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows slightly before Angela blushed and looked down at her hands, which, at the moment, were trying to tie themselves into knots.  For a tense moment or two she was afraid that Dumbledore would ask what could have provoked her to feel love before she performed the spell, but thankfully he didn't.

"That makes complete sense," Dumbledore began, "After all, love is a very powerful magic in itself.  It saved Harry when he was a baby.  And now that I think about it it's actually very obvious!"  He sounded as if her were surprised that he hadn't thought of it himself.

"I need to go and send a few owls.  You two should get back up to your dormitory and try to get some rest.  You start Divination tomorrow, Angela."

Harry and Angela walked back to Gryffindor Tower silently, pondering the events of the night.  They were almost to the portrait of the Fat Lady when Harry spoke up.

"Angela, um…what was it that made you feel love around Voldemort?  I mean, what did he say, because I know it's hard to feel anything but hate around him. Purple rose," he added as they reached the portrait, which swung open slowly, as the Fat Lady was yawning.

Angela was blushing, trying to think of something, anything she could tell Harry without telling him that she was in love with him.  "_What if he says that he doesn't love me?  I don't think I could take that right now_," she thought to herself.  But she couldn't think of anyone else that would have produced an emotion that strong.  Voldemort didn't know about her real parents, how could he?  And Angela didn't love her birth parents that much, nor anyone else that Voldemort could have mentioned.  Harry was the only one that he knew about, and there was no denying it.

"Well, it was…he was talking about killing me, just so…so he could watch you cry over my body."  She couldn't look him in the eye as she said it, too embarrassed to even chance a glance.

"You mean…it was me who made you feel love?"  Harry asked, sounding incredulous, but somewhat hopeful.  All Angela could do was nod her assent, still not looking at him.  She closed her eyes, waiting for the words she knew would come – "Oh.  Well, um, that's great.  I think," seemed the most likely in her mind, though she could think of at least a hundred others.  But nothing could prepare her for what happened next.

"I…I love you too, Angela."

Surely she hadn't heard that right.  Harry Potter, saying he loved _her_?  She slowly looked up and saw Harry looking at her with something she had never seen in anyone else's eyes.  Love. 

"You—you what?" she heard herself ask.

"I love you," he said softly, before kissing her.

Angela had never been so happy in her life.


	5. Of Auras and Floo

Disclaimer: I own Angela and the plot.  That's it.  Got it?

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As Angela and Harry were walking together to the North Tower the next morning when Angela realized something.  She didn't even know what divination was.

"Um, Harry, what exactly is Divination?"

"Well, it's the 'art' of telling the future.  The professor, Professor Trelawny, isn't really good at it, but I guess it's hard to find someone who's willing to teach it if they have a genuine talent for it.  Though I do wish Firenze could have kept on teaching it…" he finished, his voice trailing off thoughtfully.

"Wait, telling the future?  I can do that already.  Why am I taking this class?"

Harry laughed.  "I ask myself that every year.  No, she teaches you different ways to tell the future.  Reading the stars, palms, tea leaves, crystal balls, that sort of thing."

Angela didn't like the sound of that.  That went beyond ability and straight to things Angela didn't want to do.  Learning spells was one thing.  That, in Angela's mind, was the same as learning math equations.  This, palm reading and such, was always something she had avoided, even in the Muggle world.  For one thing, it was not very accurate.  She had looked at horoscopes occasionally for fun, but nothing in any of them had ever come true.  And for another this truly went against her religion.  

"I don't know about this, Harry.  I've always thought that this kind of stuff was, well, fake."

"Well, it's worth a try, Angela.  For Dumbledore, come on."  He took her hand and led her up the last winding staircase.  They finally reached a landing that had no doors off of it.  Most new students would assume that one of the walls was a door, but Angela knew to look up.  She had dreamed about this only last night, so she wasn't at all surprised to see the ladder descending to the landing when she looked up.  She was also prepared for the dimness of the room.  But there was one thing her dreams couldn't prepare her for.  

Angela had always been a very vivid dreamer, even as a small child.  She had full use of most of her senses in her dreams, dreaming in color and hearing things very clearly.  She had even discovered that it was pointless to pinch herself to see if it was really a dream, as it hurt when she pinched herself in dreams.  She couldn't however, smell anything in her dreams.  

When she climbed into the classroom the first thing that hit her was the sickly perfume coming from the fire.  She coughed at the thick smell, forgetting to get out of the way until Harry tapped her on the back of the leg.

"So-so-sorry, Harry," she managed to choke out through her coughs. "Whe-where's the tea-teacher?" 

"She's around.  Are you ok?" 

"I'll be al-alright.  Wha-what is that smell?"

"We haven't figured that one out yet, but it's always like that in here.  Come over here by the window.  We can open it, let some air in."

Angela could only nod, she was coughing so hard now.  She felt like she was going to throw up at any minute as Harry led her to a table in the back of the class.

Just as Harry was opening the window Professor Trelawny appeared.  She was very thin and wore glasses that magnified her eyes to what must have been at least five or six times their normal size. "Welcome to Divination, Angela.  It's nice to finally meet you in the physical world.  I have seen you, of course, many times in my crystal ball."

"The-the pleasure's all mi-mine, I'm su-sure," Angela got out chokingly.  "Is the-there any way you ca-can get rid of tha-that awful smell?" she asked, before resuming her hacking.

"I'm sorry that you cannot handle the clairvoyant vibrations in my room, but if you are to complete this lesson it will be necessary," Professor Trelawny said sharply, looking disapprovingly at Angela.  She then turned her extra large eyes to Harry, looking at him with extreme sadness.  "I see it's coming closer, my dear.  And it saddens me each time I see your death."  With that she walked across the room to the teapot sitting on one of the very full shelves lining the room. 

Angela looked over at Harry, still coughing, but very concerned now.  What did she mean, his death?  Surely this woman didn't know what she was talking about.

"Don't worry.  She's been predicting my death every class for the past two years.  I'm used to it, and if you're going to take this class you will be too."  Harry reassured her in a low voice.  Just then Professor Trelawny came back and set a teacup in front of each of them.  

"Drink the tea until only the dregs remain and then swirl the leaves three times with your left hand.  You should then turn the cup upside down on its saucer and let the last of the tea drain away.  You will then read each other's tea leaves."

Angela looked dubiously down at the tea in her cup, then over at Harry.  She couldn't resist.  "Um, professor, I take *cough* my tea with cream and sugar.  You wouldn't happen to have any, would you?"  She gave the professor the sweetest smile she could muster, coughing slightly.

Professor Trelawny looked as if someone had just suggested she eat from the hand of a dement or.  Harry was trying to control his laughter and was doing a very poor job of it.

"Cream and sugar?" Trelawny sputtered. "That would ruin any reading that you could get!  Of course you cannot put that in your tea!"

Angela sighed and reluctantly began to drink her tea, which was very hot and quite bitter.  She tried to drink it fairly quickly, hoping that the quicker she drank the sooner she could leave.  She was still occasionally coughing, but the open window was definitely helping.  She and Harry finished at about the same time and drained their cups as they had been instructed.  Harry, having had much more experience at this sort of thing immediately saw various shapes in Angela's tealeaves.

"There's a clover, that means you'll have good luck.  A sun, that means you'll be happy.  That one looks like a butterfly.  I don't know that one.  Hold on."  He pulled out his copy of _Unfogging the Future_ and looked in it for the meaning. "Oh!  It means you'll have 'much expected happiness'.  And this last one looks like…oh, crap.  It looks like the Grim." 

"The what?  What's a Grim?"

"Well, they say that if you get the Grim then you're going to die soon, but," he said looking around, "Professor Trelawny saw one in mine the first day of Divination in third year and I'm still here," he added, quietly, seeing Trelawny not far away. "Well, at least you got a mostly good cup," he said, sounding upbeat.

"Right.  I guess that means it's my turn."  Angela looked down at the cup full of tealeaves and saw…nothing.  She turned it this way and that and couldn't find one discernable shape in the whole cup.  "I…I can't see anything.  At all."  Professor Trelawny, who had been sitting quietly in an armchair watching them came over to see how they were progressing.

"Does there seem to be a problem, Miss Harte?"

"Well, it's just that I don't see any shapes in Harry's tea leaves.  It just looks like a wet lump of leaves in a cup."  Harry snorted at that, but looked very serious when Trelawny shot him a look.

Professor Trelawny glared at her. "It is never just a wet lump of leaves on a saucer," as she snatched the cup out of Angela's hands.  She studied it for several minutes before speaking.  "This is a raven, which means you'll get bad news soon.  A snake, meaning an enemy is nearby.  A tower, meaning you'll suffer a disappointment.  And, oh dear…" she looked as if she didn't want to say it.

"Is it the Grim again professor?" Harry asked, trying to look worried, but with an amused look in his eye.

"Yes, my dear.  Oh my this isn't happy at all."  She set the cup down and looked at Harry again with her huge eyes.  

Angela, wondering how she had missed all that, grabbed the cup and looked at it again.  She saw nothing still.  There was no bird shaped clump, or even a line coming off of anything that could possibly be the snake.  There definitely wasn't a tower anywhere on the saucer.  

"Professor, I wonder if you could show me where you saw all of those things in the cup.  It would help me a lot."

If looks could kill, Angela would have died on the spot.

"I do not need to explain myself to you, Miss Harte.  I see that you have the smallest aura of anyone I've ever met, including Miss Granger.  It's obvious that you do not have the gift for this."

Angela thought to herself for a minute before speaking. "You know what Professor?  I think this is all crap.  I don't know you, and you obviously don't know me, but I don't think it's very astute of you to tell me about my 'aura'.  If auras did exist, I believe you would have none, you crazy old bat.  Now, if you don't mind, I'm leaving before I puke."

With that Angela stood up and walked out the trap door, Harry close behind her.

* * *

With that Angela finished "learning" five years of information.  It had taken her a month and a half to recall all of the information, but now she knew that when the situation arose she would know just what to do.  She took the O.W.L.s and Dumbledore told her that she would know her results by the time classes began again.

Dumbledore had called her to his office later that day to discuss what had happened that morning in the Divination class.  Apparently Trelawny hadn't liked her comments at all and had made a rare traverse out of her classroom to discuss this with Dumbledore.  Dumbledore had smiled at Angela understandingly when she explained what had happened.  

He, of course, knew something that Trelawny didn't.  He knew that Angela could already see the future.  There truly was no point in her continuing the lessons.  He told Trelawny as much and she had stormed out of the room, livid.  

Harry had thought it was one of the funniest things he had ever seen and had written to Ron and Hermione about it as soon as they got back to Gryffindor Tower.  He had also asked when they could come to visit.  With Angela's studies now done they had two weeks of summer left and as much as Angela loved Hogwart's she was eager to meet the Weasley's.  Dumbledore had told her that they would return by train on September 1st, and until then the rest of the summer was theirs to do with what they wished.

Ron wrote back the next day, saying that they could come that day around noon.

"Good.  That gives me time to finish packing."  Harry had said, giving Angela a kiss on the cheek then rushing up to his room. 

Angela also had to finish packing so she headed up to her room.  She had gotten a trunk from Dumbledore as a gift for finishing her studies.  She tried to pack everything she had into it but it was simply too small.  Giving a glance around to make sure no one was around she magically enlargened it to be able to hold all of her stuff easily.  Thankfully it looked the same from the outside.

They were to travel by Floo Powder from the Gryffindor Common Room fireplace, so that they wouldn't have to drag their trunks through the castle.  Dumbledore came to see them off and he could tell that Angela was nervous.

"Is something wrong, Angela?"

"No, well, it's just…I'm a bit nervous about traveling by…fire.  Surely there has to be an easier way to do this.  Couldn't we just Apparate?  Or fly?  Or something else?"

Dumbledore chuckled "Well, Harry here doesn't have an Apparition license, and neither do you.  I know you can do it," he added, as she opened her mouth to protest, "but it's much safer to travel by Floo.  Trust me." 

Angela sighed and said "Alright.  Well, it's almost noon, I guess we should go.  Thank you for everything, sir.  I guess I'll see you in two weeks."

"Thank you, Angela.  This means a lot that you've come. And that you are staying."

Angela blushed as Dumbledore smiled at her with a twinkle in his eye.

"We should go now, Professor.  See you in a few weeks."  Harry said, turning toward the fireplace.  He threw a handful of Floo Powder into the fire causing the fire to turn from orange to green.  Angela helped him get his trunk on its end and into the fireplace.  When he got into the fireplace he shouted "The Burrow!" and disappeared in a flash of green flames.  Angela then got herself and her trunk into the fire, which felt like a warm summer breeze.  Giving a final wave to Dumbledore she shouted "The Burrow!" 


	6. Nicer People You Couldn't Meet

Disclaimer:  Please don't sue me.  I am but a poor knave.  Angela and the Plot are mine, nothing else.

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The next instant she was spinning so fast she thought she was going to throw up.  All she could see was swirling green at first, but she didn't dare close her eyes for fear that she would get out at the wrong place.  After a few moments she began to see fireplaces whirring by very quickly.  She had begun to worry that she wouldn't be able to stop when it came to the Weasley's house when her feet slammed into the ground.  She and her trunk tumbled forward out of the fireplace in which she had landed.  

Harry was right there to help her up, and she started to brush herself off before she looked around.  She found herself surrounded by a sea of red heads.  

A woman that had to be Mrs. Weasley quickly came forward and gave Angela a hug. "How nice it is to finally meet you, Angela dear.  We've heard so much about you."

Angela was quite taken aback.  She'd never heard someone so genuinely pleased to meet her.  "It's nice to meet you too.  I'm sure I've heard much more about you than you have of me."

The twins, Fred and George, came forward and shook her hand quite vigorously. "It's great to meet you," said one.  "Yes, absolutely smashing." The other said.

Angela couldn't stop the grin that came to her face.  She had heard of the twins' exploits over the past five years and knew not to accept anything they may try to give her.  The twins grinned back at her.  

A girl of about fifteen came forward and introduced herself as Ginny.  "It's nice to meet you too, Ginny.  I've heard a lot about you." Angela smiled at the girl who was now blushing a deep shade of pink.

The only red head left was laughing with Harry and a brunette girl over to the side.  "_This has got to be Ron and Hermione_," she thought to herself.  Taking a deep steadying breath she walked towards them, thinking,   "_I wasn't this scared when Voldemort was there_."   When she reached them she stuck out her hand to the red headed boy and said "Hi.  I'm Angela.  You must be Ron." 

He took her hand and shook it, smiling.  "It's great to have you here.  This is Hermione," he added, indicating the girl on his left.  Angela shook hands with Hermione, who said "I'm so glad to meet you.  It'll be nice to have someone to study with this year finally."  Harry and Ron both laughed.

"We heard about what you said to Trelawny and Snape." Ron said, giving her a look of appreciation.  "That made my day to read that.  It'll be good having someone around who has the guts to stand up to Snape.  Of course, he may give you detention for it, but it'll be great nonetheless."  He grinned at her as he finished.  Angela couldn't help but grin back.  Maybe this wouldn't be as hard as she thought.

Angela spent the day getting to know the Weasley's better.  Well, the few that were there.  Mr. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie had all joined the fight against Voldemort, and were not going to be home until later that night.  Apparently the final Weasley, Percy,  had had a slight falling out with his father the previous year over Voldemort and, though the Ministry was finally accepting the return of Voldemort he had yet to make up with his parents.  Mrs. Weasley made a delicious meal for lunch.  Angela asked Harry if she was making such a large meal just because she was there and Harry reassured her that this was a daily occurrence.  Mrs. Weasley tried to get her to eat seconds and thirds, but Angela simply could not eat anymore. 

"It's delicious, but I don't want to have to taste it coming back up again, Mrs. Weasley."

Everyone around the table laughed.

"Well, I'm used to these boys who will eat anything you set in front of them, and in great abundance."  Mrs. Weasley had explained.

"We're growing men, mum.  We need nourishment."  Ron had told her before filling his mouth again.

Angela laughed to herself, remembering her brothers and how much they had always eaten.  She felt a slight pang when she thought of them, but nothing compared to what she knew she would feel if she left the wizarding world.

"So, what do you want to do today Angela?"  Mrs. Weasley asked her, watching Fred get some more food on his plate.

"Do?  I don't even know what there is to do around here.  It doesn't really matter though.  I'm pretty happy doing just about anything."  Angela answered.

"Well, we could play Quidditch later," Ron said, his voice full of hope.

Hermione leaned over to Angela and told her in a quiet voice "Ron's hoping to get in some practice.  He was on the team last year…didn't do so hot, though he did win the last game.  Everyone's always comparing him to his brothers though, all of whom have been fairly good at Quidditch."

Angela knew what it was like to compete with brothers all the time, though she had usually outshone them in everything.  "That sounds like fun," she said "As long as you don't expect me to catch a ball too much.  Haven't quite gotten that part down yet."

So, after lunch they all headed down to the small field that the Weasley's used to practice Quidditch.  They played four games before they were all too exhausted to play anymore.  Angela and Ron had played at Keepers and Angela had finally discovered something that she was good at.  Hermione was the referee with Harry and Fred on Angela's team, Ginny and George on Ron's.  At the end each team had won two games, but they were too tired to play a tiebreaker.

"We have two weeks.  We can always play again tomorrow.  Or the next day."  Harry had panted when Fred and George wanted to play another game.

"Yeah.  I can't play anymore today."  Ron had added, kneading a stitch in his side.

They were all hot and sweaty after playing in the hot August sun, but Angela was as happy as ever.  She had found friends who liked her for her.  Melissa was one of the few she had actually found that she could get close to in America, but she could see almost any of the Weasleys as best friend material.  

When the other Weasleys came home that night for dinner they all seemed just as happy to meet Angela as the others. Mr. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie seemed perhaps more so.  Angela figured that they would have heard about her encounter with Voldemort from Dumbledore.  And she was right.  As she sat down at the dinner table Mr. Weasley had struck up a conversation with her about it, trying to glean any details from the story that Dumbledore hadn't told him.  Everyone else around the table seemed enraptured in the story too and Angela heard various "Really?" and "No way!"s throughout her story.  When she finished she got looks like that that Dumbledore had given her.  They couldn't believe that someone had blocked Avada Kedavra.  

"Well, Dumbledore told me of the block, of course, but…I didn't think it would really work."  Mr. Weasley had said, astonished.  The rest of the meal was filled with conversation about Voldemort (more commonly referred to as You-Know-Who around the Weasley table) and the curse blocks that Angela had done.  

Angela was exhausted by the time they finished supper and politely excused herself from the table.  She got up to go to her room and stopped just after she had gotten out of the kitchen.  She didn't know where she was staying.  Thankfully, Harry came out a minute after she did while she was pondering whether to go back and ask and feel stupid or to just wait for someone to come out.

"Oh, thank goodness.  Do you know which room I'm staying in?"  she asked, afraid that he wouldn't.

"Well, I imagine it's probably Ginny's room.  That's where Hermione always stays.  I'll go ask for you."  Harry turned and walked back into the kitchen before Angela could stop him.  He came back out followed by Mrs. Weasley. 

"I'll show you to Ginny's room dear.  Are you feeling alright?" she asked, with a true look of concern on her face.  

"_I'm definitely going to have to get used to this whole 'people caring' bit_" she thought to herself before answering "Yes, I'm fine.  Just tired.  I haven't played that much sports since the last time my brothers and I played football in the backyard."

"Football?"  Mrs. Weasley asked, a confused look on her face.

"Oh!  It's a sport with a ball and one player throws the ball to another player down the field, who tries to get it down the field to score a touchdown.  At least, that's American football.  I think in England they refer to Soccer as football."

"You mean in America they refer to football as soccer." Harry interjected, smiling.

Angela looked at him, smiled and said, "Same difference."

Now it was Harry's turn to be confused.  "Same difference?  What's that mean?"

Angela sighed, as if having to explain why atoms exist, then said "It just means that it's the same thing.  The difference is the same.  Same difference.  See?  Nevermind, it's just an American thing I guess."

She walked into the small room that Mrs. Weasley had shown her.  "I know it's probably not quite what you're used to, but, well-" 

"It's great." Angela cut her off in mid-sentence, grinning.  "Thank you so much for letting me stay here, Mrs. Weasley."  

"Oh, it's not a problem, dear.  The more the merrier we say around here.  Are you going to bed now?"

"Um, probably not.  It's still kinda early.  I just need to rest for a bit.  Thanks." 

Mrs. Weasley left the room and Harry walked in, looking around.  "I've never been in this room.  It's…nice."  There was slightly pinkish colored wallpaper on the walls and the bedspreads were pink also.  It was tastefully decorated and you couldn't tell that the Weasley's didn't have very much from the looks of the room.

"Yeah, it is.  I imagine it was hard to make it this pink without making it look like they painted with Pepto Bismol, but they did a pretty good job.  I really do want to rest though, Harry and I think that with you in here I'll do anything but," she said, a mischievous grin playing across her face.

Harry smiled too, and bent down and gave her a kiss on the cheek.  "Sleep well, my love."  

Angela stared at his back as he left the room.  She still couldn't get used to the fact that someone actually loved her.  She laid down on her bed, sighing.  "Is it really possible to be this happy?" she asked herself.  She only hoped that it wouldn't end soon.  

She hadn't meant to fall asleep, but she couldn't help herself after a few minutes.  "I'll just close my eyes for a minute or two," she told herself.  

Next thing she knew she was standing in front of a full-length mirror, staring back at her reflection.  She was at about 20 give or take a year, looking very beautiful in the white wedding gown of her dreams.  Tight fitting bodice, a very full skirt, and a long train.  Melissa was helping her put on her veil.  Someone came in and said, "They're ready for you."  She took a steadying breath and grabbed her bouquet.  She and Melissa hugged for a minute before heading out the door.  She saw her father waiting for her, to give her away.  He was wearing a tux and giving her a huge smile.  She smiled back at him and took his arm.  Then they waited.  She felt very anxious but extremely elated, and when the person came to tell them it was time, she felt like she was going to puke, not from fear, but from nervousness.  She walked down the aisle arm in arm with her father, seeing all of the people standing to see her, but focusing on the other men in tuxes at the end.  Well, one in particular.  He was staring at her and she felt herself blush under the veil.  When they finally reached the end of the aisle, which seemed to take forever, the man took her hand and looked down at her.  He smiled, looking just as nervous as she was.  The preacher began right away, and soon Angela and her groom were exchanging rings and saying "I do."  

Then the preacher said, "I now pronounce you man and wife.  You may kiss the bride," He added, smiling at the groom.  

The man lifted Angela's veil and their lips had almost touched when Angela woke up with a gasp.

She lay there for a moment, trying to remember everything about her dream.  This was one of those that stayed with her though, so it wasn't hard.  There was only one small detail.  She couldn't remember who the groom was.  She remembered that Ron and Hermione and Ginny had all been there, and most of the Weasleys, but she couldn't recall the face of her groom.  He had been five or six inches taller than her, she remembered that, but his face escaped the grasp of her mind.  

For a minute she was a bit upset with herself for not being able to remember, but then she thought to herself, "_It can't be the future_."  

All of her other dreams of the future had been much shorter, fragments if anything.  She had never dreamed more than a minute or two and had it come true.  "So, there's really nothing to worry about.  It's not really my wedding at all.  Just a silly dream," she said out loud.

Just then Ginny came in.  "Were you talking to someone?" she asked.

"Um, no, just myself, sorry."

"Well, Mum just asked me to check on you.  She said you weren't feeling well."

"I'm fine, I was just a bit tired.  I'm getting up now."  She glanced at the clock when Ginny gave her a weird look.  She had only been in the room for 10 minutes.  "_That's funny_," she thought to herself, "_that dream was at least half an hour long_."

She got up anyway and went out into the living room.  Harry, Ron, Bill, Charlie, and the twins were having a rather heated discussion about Quidditch.  Hermione was sitting in a chair, reading a book.  Mr. Weasley was reading a newspaper called "The Daily Prophet".  

"Where's your mom?"  Angela asked Ginny.

"Mum's in the kitchen, cleaning up a bit."

"Oh.  I think I'll go and help her,"  Angela said.  Ginny gave her a very weird look and then shrugged before walking over to her brothers and sat down.

Angela walked into the kitchen to find Mrs. Weasley at the kitchen table surrounded by papers, looking very worried.  The dishes were washing themselves in a sink.

"Are you ok, Mrs. Weasley?"

"What? Oh, yes dear, I'm fine.  It's just…the times."  She gave Angela a weak smile, stood up, and began messing with some things on the counter.  Angela gave a quick glance down at the papers that Mrs. Weasley had been looking at and quickly recognized them to be bills.  Angela knew that the Weasleys didn't have much money.  In fact, from what Harry had told her, they were downright poor.  However, the only family she could think of that had been as nice to her had been Melissa's.

Angela knew what it was like to be poor.  Her family had never had much when she was younger, though it wasn't because they didn't make enough money.  Her parents were never the "responsible" types.  

Angela suddenly had an idea.  She had no idea how much in wizarding money she had gotten from the inheritance, but she knew however much it was it was more than she could ever use.  She also knew that the Weasley's would never take money from her directly.  However, if they didn't know that it was her, if she sent it anonymously, what could they do?  She now had a plan.  All she had to do was figure out how to do it.  Dumbledore had had part of her inheritance changed into wizarding money and it was sitting in a vault in Gringotts.  There was still a fair amount not changed collecting interest in a bank in America. 

She began thinking to herself, "_If I could give the vault I already have to the Weasleys, get some money from America, and change it at Gringotts and set up another vault for myself, then it would work out fine.  Maybe I should talk to Harry about this.  He would know what to do_."

"Is there anything I can do to help, Mrs. Weasley?"

"No, dear.  I'm almost finished in here.  You go talk with the others."  Mrs. Weasley gave her a genuine, if somewhat tired, smile.

Angela went back out to the living room, thinking to herself about how she could pull this off.  The boys and now Ginny were still talking about Quidditch, but it seemed Hermione had given up on reading her book.  Or pretending to read it.  She was now staring at Ron over the top of it.  Angela smiled to herself.  

She walked over to Hermione and said "So, whatcha reading?" 

Hermione snapped out of her stare, and looked up at  Angela, blushing.  "Oh.  It's, er…" she looked down at the book and quickly, blushing further, turned it right side up.  Angela sat down in the chair beside Hermione's and giggled.

"It's alright.  So, you like Ron, huh?"

Hermione looked at Angela, horrified.  "Wha- how did you-?"

"I saw you looking at him.  It's alright.  Really.  And it's not like he's going to hear you."

Right at that moment Ron was yelling something about keepers that everyone else seemed to disagree with. 

Hermione gave a nervous giggle and said "Yeah, I guess he won't.  Well yeah, I kinda do like him…a lot."

"You two would be so cute together, you know that right?  I mean, you compliment each other perfectly."

Hermione smiled weakly at Angela.  "Too bad he has no idea I exist outside of friendship."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that.  I heard about the dance fourth year from Harry.  And how he got jealous every time you write to Viktor.  And all of your little 'fights'.  That boy has a serious crush on you."

"He was just worried about Viktor trying to get info on Harry from me.  That's all."

"Oh, please.  What was he supposed to say, 'I like you so I don't like it that you came to the dance with a guy four years older than me that I have no chance against'?  He was saying the things he could think of that wouldn't make you think that he had really wanted to take you to the dance himself."

"He was always drooling after that Fleur girl though.  I mean, he seemed to like her a lot more than he liked me.  In that way, at least."

Angela smiled.  "Well, he couldn't really help himself.  She is part Veela."

"Harry really did catch you up on everything didn't he?"

"Yeah.  Well, we had a lot of time, so…"

"A lot of time?  You learned five years worth of material in a month and a half!  How did you have time?"

"We found it.  Or made it.  It wasn't really as hard as it sounds.  I'll tell you all about it later."  Angela added, as the discussion about Quidditch seemed to be winding down.  "I need to talk to Harry about something real quick." 

She got up and walked over to the group with Hermione.  Harry looked up at her, looking slightly surprised.  "I thought you were going to lay down?"

"I did.  Can I talk to about something real quick.  Privately?"  she asked Harry.

"Sure.  I'll be right back guys."  Fred and George had evil grins on their faces as they watched the two walking out of the room. 

Angela and Harry went out into the backyard, where Angela posed her idea to Harry.

"I really have way too much money.  And they need it a lot more than I ever will.  What do you think?" she finished.

"I think it's brilliant!  How did you come up with that plan?"

Angela told Harry about the Mrs. Weasley being worried and the bills on the table.  "And then it occurred to me what I could do with all that money that's just sitting there in the bank.  I remembered what it was like to be poor and to not have money to pay bills.  It was not the best feeling in the world."

Harry and Angela plotted for another half an hour before going back in.  It was dark and though they had stayed close to the door they both knew that there was not protective charm over the Weasley's house as there was over the Dursley's.

The next day at breakfast mail came for Angela, making her plan even better.  It was a small package from Dumbledore that Angela didn't open until she got to her room.  When she opened the box there was a small golden key, similar to the key to her vault that Dumbledore had helped her set up at Gringotts and a note. 

            Dear Angela,

     This is the key to your parent's vault.  They left it in my possession for safekeeping and I am now returning it to you.  I'm sure you will find it useful.

                                               Professor Dumbledore                       

This was it!  She could give the Weasley's the vault she had set up with her inheritance and keep the one that her parents left her.  Angela was very happy as she walked out of the room that morning, trying to think of ways she could give the Weasley's the key without them knowing.


	7. The Gift

Disclaimer: Angela=mine. Plot=mine. Everything else=Jo's. You=not suing. Thanks!

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She and Harry discussed it extensively over the next few days and decided that an anonymous letter on the doorstep would be the best and easiest way to do it.  Angela would write the note that would be attached to the envelope containing the key, as she was good at disguising her handwriting.  They decided to do it the morning that they were to go to Diagon Alley.

The next week and a half sped by so quickly that Angela barely had time to get used to not having classes everyday before it was time to go back.  The Wednesday before they were to return to Hogwarts they decided to go to Diagon Alley the next day.  The train would leave on a Friday, which was good, according to the Ron.  

"That means there won't be class for three days after we get there.  We've never been that lucky before!"  

Hermione didn't seem quite as excited about that prospect.

Angela had had classes during weekends over the summer, so she was pleased to hear this. 

That night, she and Harry snuck down the stairs and left the envelope on the front door step.  Almost immediately Errol, the Weasley's owl, came and picked it up, and then flew off.  Angela almost tried to catch him but Harry, knowing more about owls than Angela, said "Don't worry.  This is even better.  He'll bring it to them in the morning."  Angela gave a relieved smile to Harry who told her she was beautiful before kissing her.  They then walked up the steps holding each other's hand until they got to Ginny's floor.  Angela snuck quietly back into bed and waited for morning to come.

Angela woke up the next morning with the sun.  She had only managed three hours of sleep, but she was too excited to sleep any longer.  She dressed quickly, and then rushed towards the stairs, almost running into Harry as she got to them.

"Do you think they're up yet?  When does the mail usually come?  Are you sure Errol will bring it back?"  Angela let out a rush of whispered questions before Harry stopped her with a finger to her lips.

"Shhh.  Don't worry.  It'll be fine."

"I hope so," Angela said nervously.

"It will be.  I promise."  Harry said before giving her a quick kiss.

They walked together more slowly down the stairs and into the kitchen.  When they got there they saw Mrs. Weasley making breakfast and Mr. Weasley sitting at the table sipping tea and looking very tired.  Angela and Harry sat down at the table next to each other.

"Good morning, dears.  Are you ready to go already?"  Mrs. Weasley asked in a motherly way.

"Yeah.  I couldn't sleep any longer." Harry said, smiling at Mrs. Weasley while looking out the window. 

"Are you expecting a letter?"

"No, just haven't seen a sunrise in a while, that's all."

"They are nice, aren't they?"  Mrs. Weasley said, looking out the window. 

"I wish that bird would hurry with the post."  Mr. Weasley said grumpily.

A few minutes after the sun was fully up the others began to come into the room, looking very sleepy.  Hermione and Ginny came in first, Ginny rubbing her eyes and Hermione in the middle of a huge yawn.  They were followed about five minutes later by all of the boys, looking even more tired than the other people at the table.

Mrs. Weasley had just begun to put breakfast on the table when Errol came crashing into the room carrying a newspaper and two envelopes.  Angela recognized the envelope on the bottom as the one carrying the vault key.

Mr. Weasley glanced at the paper quickly and then opened the top envelope.  Angela noticed that the seal seemed to be in the shape of a Phoenix before Mr. Weasley opened it. 

"I've got to go in today Molly.  They want you two also," he added, looking at Bill and Charlie.  Looking at the Twins he said "You two help your mother with this bunch at Diagon Alley today."

Mr. Weasley then opened his paper and began reading, apparently not noticing the other letter.  Angela gave a worried look at Harry who looked unconcerned. 

"Hey, dad.  Who's that other letter from?"  Fred asked, looking at it curiously.  

"Hmm?  Oh, I didn't see it.  Here, Molly," Mr. Weasley said handing her the letter absentmindedly.  

"This is interesting, dear.  The note only says 'A gift. Vault 205.'  She peered further into the envelope and saw the key.  Looking back at the note she looked thoughtful.  "This handwriting looks really familiar," she said, almost to herself.

Angela froze.  She had written the note and address very carefully, trying to make it look like anything but her own.

"There's no name?" Mr. Weasley asked, not looking up.

"No, dear.  Here, look at the note."

Mr. Weasley took the note from her and studied it.  "I agree.  It does look familiar."

Angela focused hard on the food in her plate.  She was sure not to look up in case they could tell it had been her by the look on her face.

Mrs. Weasley suddenly spoke up.  "Oh!  I know whose handwriting it is!  But it can't be.  Hold on, I'll be right back."  And with that she rushed out of the room.  

Angela thought to herself furious.  "_Why didn't you do it better?  Now they're gonna know and the whole thing would be ruined_."

Just then Mrs. Weasley came back in the room holding an old piece of parchment.    It was obviously a very old letter.  Angela's look of confusion matched the ones worn by everyone around the table.  She had never sent the Weasley's a letter, though the parchment seemed older than she was.  Mrs. Weasley held the parchment up to the note that Mr. Weasley was still holding, comparing the two.  Both Mr. and Mrs. Weasley went pale as they looked at the two pieces of paper.  

"It's a perfect match," Mrs. Weasley whispered.

There was complete silence for several long moments before Ron asked, "Perfect match to what, Mum?"

"Morgan Armstrong."

Angela choked.  She was sure she hadn't heard that right.  Everyone looked at her as she coughed, trying to clear her throat.  When she had finally quit coughing she looked up to see everyone at the table looking at her, bewildered.

"Are you ok?"  Harry asked her.

Angela nodded while gulping some pumpkin juice.  They didn't know.  No one but Harry knew that Mrs. Weasley had just said that it was her mother's handwriting on the note.  

"Sorry, it went down the wrong pipe." Angela said, looking around apologetically.  How could she explain that Mrs. Weasley had just said that her handwriting looked like her dead mother's?

"Who is Morgan Armstrong?"  Bill asked his mother, thankfully taking the attention off of Angela.

Angela didn't really pay attention as Mrs. Weasley explained about the Armstrongs.  "_My handwriting looks like hers?  No, I just happened to write like her in my carefulness not to write in my own handwriting_."    Her mind seemed to be filled with a buzzing noise that wrapped itself around that thought.  She felt Harry's hand on hers under the table and he squeezed it gently as she looked up at him.  He gave a little smile as Mrs. Weasley finished her story.  

Thankfully no one made the connection between the Armstrongs ability to perform magic wandlessly and Angela's same ability that she had described that first night at the Burrow.  

"Well, I suppose it's worth a check out when you go to Diagon Alley today, dear." Mr. Weasley said, folding his paper.  "I'm afraid we're going to have to go now."  He stood and gave Mrs. Weasley a kiss as Bill and Charlie chugged the rest of their juice.  They stood and kissed their mom on the cheek.  "Bye, mum."  They said together, heading out the door.

"Stay safe!  I love you!  I want you home tonight in one piece!"

"I'm sure they'll be fine, Mum." Fred chimed in.

They all quickly finished breakfast and got ready to leave.  They would be traveling by Floo Powder, which Angela and Harry weren't particularly looking forward to, but they didn't really have much of a choice. 

Hogwart's lists in hand they all stood around the fireplace as Mrs. Weasley started a fire quickly with her wand.  Then they all each took a bit of powder and within 5 minutes they were all in Diagon Alley.

Now that Angela wasn't so scared she had time to properly appreciate the beauty of Diagon Alley.  It was wonderful, a street full of people that now looked normal to her.  As they walked down the street, Angela looked all around her, as if seeing it all for the first time.

"It's a bit less imposing after you've been here a few times."  Harry said in her ear, taking her hand.

"I certainly hope so, though I feel now that this is the first time that I've been here.  I guess we go get money first?"

"Yeah, we go over to Gringotts."  He said, pointing at a shining white building.  It was taller than all the others, shining in the sunlight that glinted off of it.  "That's the wizarding bank, run by-"

"Goblins and there are said to be dragons guarding some of the vaults.  I know.  You already told me about it, remember?"

Harry grinned at her.  "You have a great memory."

"Yeah well, it comes in handy sometimes."

The large group reached Gringotts and climbed the steps.  Mrs. Weasley thought it would be easier if she, Harry, and Angela went alone, since they were the only ones with vaults, and the carts weren't really that big.  The others stayed behind as Hermione changed her money.  

"Vaults 205, 319, 589, and 681, please."  She spoke to a rather grouchy looking goblin that wasn't busy with a book at the moment.

The goblin at the counter was quick to call another goblin over to take them to the vaults that they had asked for, after checking all of their keys.  The goblin had looked at Angela's for a long time, making Angela worry that he would say that it wasn't any good, before looking hard at Angela and handing her the key back.

The three got onto a cart led by a goblin with a sour look on his face, who the goblin at the counter called Griphook.  He seemed to recognize Harry and nodded in his direction before starting the cart. 

"He was the goblin who ran our cart the first time I was here."  Harry explained when Angela looked at him.  "You might want to hang onto something, it goes kind of fast."

He hadn't been joking.  There was a lurch and they were suddenly moving very fast towards the first vault.  The first thing Angela grabbed was a bunch of Harry's robes, before getting a grip on the side of the cart.  "Sorry 'bout that," she said breathlessly.

It was like a roller coaster without hills, or any sign of an end.  They went around bends at breakneck speeds and more than once Angela thought they were going to tip over.  They finally began slowing down as they reached a vault.  Well, it must have been a vault, though it didn't look like much more than a small door in the wall.  There was a small plaque that said 681 above the door.  This was the Weasley's vault and Mrs. Weasley got out and collected every coin in it, carefully searching every corner.  

She climbed back into the cart and they were headed to vault 589, Harry's vault.  He quickly scooped up large amounts of gold, silver, and bronze coins from his vault, seeming almost embarrassed to have so much.  

The next to the last vault was Angela's.  She had no idea what to expect and was slightly nervous as they approached it.  They reached it and she climbed out of the cart, shaking slightly.  The goblin took her key and opened the door.  Angela gasped as she looked in the vault.  There had to be at least ten million galleons in there, not to mention the sickles and knuts.  She quickly scooped some into her bag before noticing something in the corner.  There was a bag with a note attached.  Angela walked over and looked at the note, which read "To our daughter.  Love, Mum and Dad."  The handwriting was indeed identical to what Angela had written on the envelope earlier.  She finished filling her bag and grabbed the package before leaving her vault and climbing back in the cart.  Harry gave a curious look at the package, and all Angela could do was shrug.  

They were both nervous now as they approached the second vault that Mrs. Weasley had a key to.  They were holding each other's hands, waiting for the cart to slow down.  When it finally did Angela felt more like being sick than she ever had on the rest of the cart trip.  

Mrs. Weasley climbed out of the cart and watched as the goblin unlocked the door, look of curiosity on her face.  As the door opened Harry had to jump out and catch Mrs. Weasley as she nearly fainted.  He helped her sit slowly down on the floor, and they both looked in astonishment up at the piles of money in the vault.  At only about a quarter of her inheritance it was still more than Angela's parents had left her.  She was more than happy to give it all to the Weasleys, even though she knew that they would never know that it was her.  Harry looked over at her, incredulous.  Angela blushed and looked down, grinning.  She had never had much before now and it felt very good to give it to people who really needed it and deserved it.    

Mrs. Weasley recovered fairly quickly, walking into the vault and putting some coins into her pitifully small bag.  She looked at Harry who offered to put some in his backpack until they could get to a place where Mrs. Weasley could purchase a new, larger bag.  Mrs. Weasley seemed to be speechless as she nodded and began putting coins into Harry's now open bag.

As they climbed back into the cart Mrs. Weasley seemed to be talking to herself.  "Who-why-I-…"  She seemed at a loss for words.  

Harry grinned at her and said, "Mrs. Weasley, I can't think of anyone who deserves it more."  

The reached the top again and met the others who were waiting and talking.  Upon seeing Mrs. Weasley's face they immediately became concerned. 

"Mum?  What's wrong Mum?" Ron asked.

"Did someone steal something?" Fred asked.

Mrs. Weasley tried to speak to no avail.  She looked to Harry and Angela, as if asking for help.  Harry looked at Angela and they tried to explain about the vault and the money in it.  They couldn't seem to find the words to describe it though and Harry motioned for all of them to follow him.  

They approached the nearest Goblin who was not occupied at the time and Harry asked "Excuse me, can you tell me how much is in vault 205?  I have the key right here."  He said, handing the goblin the key.  The goblin studied the key for a moment before turning to his record book.

"Our record shows that there is currently twenty-nine million, nine hundred thousand, nine hundred galleons, ninety nine thousand nine hundred and fifty Sickles and a thousand knuts."  The goblin answered in a very business like voice, handing the key back to Harry.

All of the Weasley children behind them were coughing. 

"How-how much?"  George asked, disbelievingly.  

The goblin repeated himself then began counting stack of gold that had appeared on his desk.

They all left the bank and headed over to Mrs. Weasley who was sitting on a bench, not moving.  

"Who was it from, mum?  I mean, who would just give away more than thirty million galleons?"  Fred asked his mother, who looked up at him with a look that said she had no idea.  Just then Ginny walked up to them, carrying a book under her arm.  

"What's this about thirty million galleons?  Someone rob a vault?" she asked, not noticing the incredulous look on all of her sibling's and her mother's faces.

"No, that's how much there was in that vault whose key was in the envelope this morning."  Harry said, giving the Weasley's time to wrap their minds further around the thought of all the money that was now theirs.

"Thirty million galleons, Harry?  I don't think so.  You must have heard it wrong."

"I saw it myself, Ginny," Angela now spoke up, "And I heard the goblin say the amount.  It's pretty certain."

Ginny sat next to her mother on the bench. 

They all sat or stood there for about ten minutes before Angela looked up at Harry.  "I have to buy some stuff," she whispered in his ear, "should we just leave them or wait?  I mean, there's no telling how long they'll be like this."

"Um, Mrs. Weasley?" Harry began.  She looked up at him, still looking shocked. "Well, I was just wondering if Angela and I could go ahead and do our shopping."

That seemed to snap Mrs. Wesley out of her stupor.  "We'll all do our shopping.  The first place we're going is to Madam Malkin's place.  You're all getting new robes, dress robes, everything.  I'm going to spoil my children rotten, if only for a day."  With that they headed down the street.  They bought everything that they needed, and some things that they didn't.   Mrs. Weasley purchased three Firebolts for her sons, to the surprise and delight of the shop owner and her sons.  Their textbooks were all new, and Mrs. Weasley seemed to enjoy knowing that she could provide for her children the way she had always wanted to.

Angela had also purchased many new things, though the weirdest one was definitely the wand.  Harry, Ron and Hermione had accompanied her to Ollivander's wand shop.  Dumbledore had suggested that she get a wand so that she wouldn't feel so out of place with the other students when classes began.  Angela understood all that, but was still nervous.  What if Mr. Ollivander said that there wasn't a wand that she could use?  Or worse, what if he just blurted out who she was?  Thankfully he didn't and the whole process was rather uneventful.  Angela ended up with a beautiful 12-inch dogwood wand with a core of phoenix feather, dragon heartstring, and unicorn tail-hair.  Mr. Ollivander had said that it was one of only five he had made that way and this was only the third he had sold, but the wand chooses the wizard, so there wasn't much to do about it.

They made their way to the Burrow weighed down with many packages but happily exhausted.  When they were all back, they collapsed into various chairs around the living room.  Angela looked up at the large grandfather clock and saw that Mr. Weasley, Bill and Charlie were all still at work.

After about an hour and a half Mrs. Weasley got up, humming to herself and looking much happier than she had since Angela met her, to go make dinner.


	8. Voices From the Past

Disclaimer: Angela and the plot belong to me. Few others do. If they did…this would be in hardback and selling for thirty bucks a copy. HA!

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Mr. Weasley, Charlie, and Bill had all nearly had heart attacks when Mrs. Weasley had told them about the vault.  They planned a trip to Diagon Alley that Saturday to see it for themselves.  The vault was the topic of conversation all throughout dinner, with many of them making speculations.  Angela smiled to herself as she listened, knowing they would never guess it was her.

Angela stayed and helped Mrs. Weasley clean up after the conversation about the vault carried itself into the living room.  Thankfully she didn't ask why Harry and Angela had been mysteriously quiet throughout the whole conversation.  

Angela had forgotten all about the package from her vault in all of the excitement of the day, but as she was putting away dishes thinking about all that she had gotten she remembered it and suddenly had a strong desire to see what was in it.  She quickly finished up and then went to Ginny's room to get the package. 

When she got to Ginny's room she hoped to have a little privacy, but Hermione and Ginny were playing wizard chess.  Ginny was winning and they both looked up at her and smiled "It's so we can finally beat Ron.  We hope," Ginny said, smiling.

Angela had heard about how good Ron was in chess.  They had stopped Voldemort from returning to power in their first year thanks to Ron's chess prowess.  Angela smiled back and wished them luck.  She grabbed the package from her pile of purchases that she still had to pack and left to try the back yard. 

Angela stopped short of the back door, hearing voices.

"Well, I really do like her.  You know that, but how am I supposed to tell her?  How did you tell Angela?" she heard Ron's voice ask.

"Well, I never really told her.  It just sort of…happened."  Harry's voice answered. "But my advice to you is to just tell her and get it over with."

"Yeah, but then, what if she doesn't like me.  Then things will be different and…well, I don't want to loose her as a friend."  Angela could hear what sounded like desperation in Ron's voice.  "But on the other hand I don't know how much longer I can do this."

Angela wondered for a moment who it was he liked, but just then Harry answered her question.  "Listen, Ron, I'm pretty sure Hermione likes you too.  Just, go up and ask her.  When she's alone, of course."

Ron liked Hermione too!

"Well, I'll try it, but you remember the last time I just up and asked someone something like that, don't you." 

Angela heard Harry chuckle.  "Yeah, but Fleur was different."

"Yea, but it's still hell every time Bill brings her over.  I guess we should head in before someone worries that we ran off or something."

Angela quickly walked away from the door.  She didn't want Ron to hate her for eaves dropping two weeks after she met him.  She heard Harry and Ron come in the door and when she was sure that the coast was clear she slipped out the back door.  

It was very dark and Angela looked around before magicking herself some candles.  She didn't know that Wizards her age were usually not allowed to do magic outside of school, as Dumbledore hadn't given her the letter that said she wasn't allowed to, nor had he told her not to. 

Angela reread the note that had been attached to the bag and then turned to the bag itself.  It was just a sack really, with a drawstring top to it.  She pulled it open and reached for the first thing in the sack.  There were two wands in it.  "_These must be my parent's wands_."  She thought to herself.  She looked on the boxes and saw that they both had cores of phoenix tail feather, dragon heartstring, and unicorn hair.  "_Well, now I know where the other two that he's sold are_."

She looked back into the sack and saw a piece of silvery gray material glinting up at her.  As she lifted it out an envelope fell out of its folds.  Angela laid the cloth across her lap and bent down to get the envelope.  She had it about halfway opened when she heard a voice calling her.  Scared, she quickly shoved everything back in the bag and quickly drew the top tight.  She had just made the candles disappear when Harry stepped out the back door.

"Angela?  What are you doing out here in the dark?"

"I was just…" she almost lied to him and found that she couldn't, "I was looking at the package from my parent's vault.

"In the dark?"  Harry asked, looking at the bag at her feet.  His eyes suddenly got wide as he looked at it.  Angela glanced down and saw a bit of the silvery fabric poking out of the top.  She tried to stuff it away but Harry's quick reflexes, a byproduct of his Quidditch training, no doubt, were too fast for Angela.  He had the bag in his hands and the fabric halfway out before Angela could say anything.  He looked up at Angela and grinned, holding the fabric almost reverently.

"Do you know what this is?"

"No, but I think that I can figure it out if you give it back."  Angela reached for the bag, which Harry merely pulled out of her reach.  Angela was feeling annoyed that Harry had just snatched her things and wouldn't give them back.

Harry didn't seem to notice her annoyance and continued talking.  "It's an invisibility cloak.  My dad left one for me.  These things are dead useful."

"That's wonderful Harry.  Can I have it back now?  Or will I have to make you give it back?"  Angela asked, giving Harry a threatening look.

Harry grinned yet again and said, "I like the sound of you making me.  However, I am feeling extra generous, so I will give it back to you." 

"Thank you."  Angela walked over to Harry who handed her the bag while pulling her close to him with an arm around her waist.  He quickly kissed her before she could protest.  Angela didn't even think to protest.  She kissed him back and wished that they could stand there, together forever.  After about five minutes though, they heard a voice from the door. 

"When you two have finished snogging, mum would like you back inside."  Angela and Harry looked quickly around to see Fred walking back into the house, laughing.  Angela and Harry looked at each other and laughed.  Angela packed all the things back in the bag carefully and after giving each other one last kiss they walked inside, arms around each other.  

Sounds of loud laughter and general merriment floated down the hallway.  Angela couldn't help but smile to herself again for her plan.  She had no idea that giving that much money away would feel so good.

They all sat in the living room discussing the key and whom it could have come from for hours, until Mrs. Weasley stood and insisted that they all go to bed.

"We have to get up early.  You all have a train to catch."  She looked pointedly at the five who were to return to Hogwart's the next day.

There were groans and complaints all around but everyone got up and headed off to their rooms.  Angela, Hermione, and Ginny all finished packing their things before getting into bed.  Angela had to quietly enlarge her trunk again, but thankfully the other two girls were too busy to notice.  

The lights stayed on after the three girls had climbed into their beds.  Hermione was reading one of their textbooks and Ginny was writing in a journal, so Angela decided that now was a perfect time to read the letter from her mother.

She opened the envelope, which was quite thick, and pulled out five sheets of parchment.  The first was a letter.  Angela sat and read it slowly, not wanting to rush through the first and only letter she would ever get from her soul mother.

            _Dearest Daughter,_

_                        Firstly I want you to know how much your father and I love you and how proud we are of you.  We know that we will never know you, and that pains us beyond words.  We can only hope that the people that Albus finds to raise you will see you are as wonderful as you really are.  _

_            Knowing that our time is short we decided to leave you a few things so that you will have a connection to a past that you will never really know about.  First, are our wands.  We never really needed them, but Albus always insisted that we use them in class.  We share many fond memories with our wands in classes that you now have the knowledge of.  You are free to use the wands, or keep them safe.  Whatever you do, never destroy them, as their cores are very sensitive and would be extremely destructive if destroyed _("Why would I destroy anything that they gave me, much less their wands?" Angela asked herself.  It would be a good thing to remember later on though, she felt, so she stashed the little tidbit away for future reference.)__

_            Second is a map.  This map is no ordinary map.  It shows the full layout, including secret passages, of wherever you are at the moment.  Not only that it shows the location and movement of people within the place you are.  This is an enchanted map that will originally be blank.  To get the map to appear simply tap it with your wand (or your wand fingers) _("Wand fingers?  There's a name for them?")_ and say "Spatior Illac."  It's Latin, meaning 'to stroll up that path'.  You must be very careful not to let anyone else get it and when you are through with it tap it and say "Abdo Via." This means 'hide the way'.  Your father once accidentally dropped it while under his invisibility cloak and a group of Gryffindors found it and copied the idea, although I believe James' only covered Hogwart's grounds. _ ("James?  She can't mean Harry's father.  But she must!  That is so cool!")

            _Third is a copy of our will and the deeds to all of our properties. _

Angela quickly glanced at the other pages in the set of papers.  One was a blank piece of Parchment that Angela figured to be the map.  One of the other three was a will, leaving everything to Angela.  The last two were deeds for houses.  "_I'm not even out of school and I already have houses_," She thought to herself, smiling, before returning to the letter.

            _We know that you will need them at some point and felt it was much easier to give them directly to you rather than go through someone else.  We did entrust the key to the vault to Albus, but only because it was the only way to ensure that the rest of this would be safe.  _

_            We are also including your father's invisibility cloak as he said that it was always "dead useful" and that's a quote. _("_That's exactly how Harry described it_!" she thought to herself, still reading.)_ I agree that it did come into some good use while we were courting.  Sneaking around in the middle of the night is not something that the caretaker cared much for._

_            The last thing that we included was a photo album.  We know that you will have no idea what we look like, as you won't even have our features to tell from on yourself.  We have pictures from as far back as when we were first years at Hogwart's to just a week ago.  I hope that you enjoy it and get as much pleasure as you can from it._

_            Your father wants to add a note before I close, so I love you and want you to know that I will always do so._

Now the handwriting changed, becoming decidedly more manly,

            _Hey Punkin.  I know, you probably don't like being called that, but I always imagined that to be the pet name that I would give my daughter.  I just wanted to tell you that I love you and to remind you to make good use of that map and cloak.  I'll just say that you probably wouldn't exist (well, your soul and mind I suppose wouldn't exist) if it hadn't been for that cloak.  I love you and hope that you are happy. ___

_                                                                             Love Always,_

Morgan and Edward Armstrong

Angela stayed up late, her candle burning much later than the other two, reading and re- reading the letter.


	9. Always Mind Your Manners

Disclaimer: All rights and so on of Harry Potter Characters and places and whatever else belong to not me. So don't sue. Angela and the plot, however, ARE mine. So don't steal. Thank you for your time.

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The Burrow was in utter chaos the next morning as everyone rushed around trying to get ready.  Mr. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie would not be coming to the station to see them off, as they had to "go in" again, so their goodbyes were said right after breakfast.  The twins stayed behind to help Mrs. Weasley get the five Hogwarts students onto the train, which would leave at eleven o'clock on the dot.  

Angela surprised everyone by carrying her own trunk downstairs.  Even Harry and Ron had to help each other with their trunks.  Angela defended herself by saying "I've always been independent.  I can take care of myself."  What they didn't know, and didn't need to know in Angela's opinion, was that Angela had placed a lightening charm on her trunk, making it about as heavy as a Potions book.  

They all got into the car that the Weasley's had acquired since their other car had been flown to and subsequently lost at Hogwarts by Ron and Harry in their second year.  It was surprisingly roomy, though Angela figured that it had been magically enlarged to allow them all to fit.

They got to King's Cross Station with a surprisingly large amount of time to spare, according to Harry.  They fetched trolleys and wheeled all of their belongings toward Platforms Nine and Ten.  All of the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione had all told her all the nuances of getting onto Platform Nine and Three Quarters on the car ride over but she was still slightly nervous.  Harry, Ron and Hermione had gone through first to show Angela how easy it was.  Angela and Ginny decided to tackle it together, walking headlong into the barrier.  Angela was afraid that they were going to hit it but they passed right through it as if it were nothing but an archway, which is what it was when Angela looked back.  She looked forward to the most magnificent train that she had ever seen.

It was bright red, gleaming in the sunlight with steam billowing out of the top.  She stood there, staring in awe for a moment before moving forward.  Harry was waiting for them about ten feet away and smiled when he saw the look on Angela's face.

"She's a beauty, isn't she?"  He said, looking at the train lovingly.

"Yeah," was all Angela could manage, looking in awe at the train.  

Harry led Angela and Ginny over to where he, Ron and Hermione had chosen an empty compartment, though Ron and Hermione would have to spend some time at the beginning of the trip in the Prefect's compartment at the front of the train.  Fred and George were quickly there to help them get their trunks onto the train and soon they were all saying goodbye.  

"See ya in Hogsmeade!"  Fred and George had said, grinning at them.  Angela made a note to ask Harry why Fred and George would be in Hogsmeade.  

Mrs. Weasley was saying goodbye to her children and then she turned to Harry, Angela and Hermione.

"I don't know what to say Mrs. Weasley.  I had a wonderful time and I do hope that you will have me again sometime.  Thank you so much for everything."  Angela said, giving the plump motherly woman a hug.  She couldn't imagine anyone else that she would want more for a mother.

Harry and Hermione quickly gave their goodbyes and soon they were on the train, waving goodbye to the Twins and Mrs. Weasley who disappeared shortly before they went around the first bend.

Angela sat down next to Harry and across from Hermione.  "Why are Fred and George going to be in Hogsmeade?"

Harry and Ron grinned and even Hermione couldn't suppress a smile, while looking slightly disapproving.  "They started their own joke shop.  It's in competition with Zonko's, the main wizard practical joke shop and they're doing very well.  The fact that they were able to take three weeks off during the summer attests to that.  They sell all things that they invented.  All very popular at Hogwarts."  Harry told her.

"So, Angela, where do you think you will be sorted into?"  Hermione asked.

"Well, I'm pretty sure that it definitely won't be Slytherin.  I think it's pretty much a toss-up between the others though.  I don't know.  I certainly hope Gryffindor, though from what I hear, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff aren't bad either."  She also knew that it was most likely that she would be sorted into either Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff.

"Nah.  The best is definitely Gryffindor, but as long as you don't get put into Slytherin it should all be fine."  Ron reassured her.  

"I certainly hope so."  Angela said, looking out the window.

She had never been on a train ride, and she wanted to get the full experience.  Harry and Ron began talking about Quidditch and Hermione rolled her eyes before digging out another book.  Angela didn't feel like reading right now or she would have done the same thing.  She really wanted to show Harry the map and see if it really was his dad that had made the other map.  She _really_ wanted to look at the photo album that her mom and dad had left her, but it would be hard to explain why she had an album full of pictures of the Armstrongs to Hermione and Ron who had no idea that they were her parents. 

Right about when she was getting hungry a pleasant looking witch came in and asked if they wanted anything to eat.  Apparently the others had been hungry also, as they jumped at the chance.  A few minutes later the four teens were surrounded by Chocolate Frogs, Cauldron Cakes, and other assorted sweets.  They all ate quite happily in silence for a few minutes before Ron decided to strike up a conversation.

"So, Angela.  What was it like in America?"

Angela quickly began telling them all about life in the United States.  She must have sounded a bit too enthusiastic about it though, because Hermione gave her a worried look and asked her "Do you miss it?"

"Sometimes.  I mean, there are just certain American things that I miss.  Well, I guess they aren't all necessarily American, mostly just Muggle.  Like music.  I definitely miss being able to listen to whatever song I want to on a CD player, or the radio.  I miss…Fourth of July and barbeques and fried catfish.  I miss being able to say "y'all" and be understood."  At that point they all looked at her like she was insane, so she decided to stop.

Angela busied herself with the wrapper on a chocolate frog.  She ate the frog and looked at the card.  "Hey, Ron, have you got this one?  I know you collect them and all…" she said, holding up the Agrippa card.

"Hey!  Thanks!  That's the last one that I needed!"  Ron took the card from Angela, looking very excited indeed.

"I'm glad." Angela said, smiling.

"Yeah, now you don't have to steal mine anymore."  Harry added with a grin.

Ron grinned back at him and their joyful banter continued for another half an hour when it was interrupted by a cold drawling voice.

"Well, if it isn't Saint Potter and his Wonder Trio.  What's this?  Someone new?"  The pale, blond boy had a sneer plastered across his face.

Angela knew in an instant who it was, and seeing the faces on Ron, Harry, and Hermione's and seeing the large boys standing behind him, looking menacing cemented her idea of who it was.  Angela quickly formed a plan and before any of the others could reply she stood and crossed the compartment to the boy standing at the door.  His eyes widened slightly in surprise before narrowing again to mach his smirk.

"You must be Draco Malfoy.  I've heard so much about you." Angela said silkily, holding out her hand.  At the same time she couldn't help but notice that he was very handsome.  There was an air of sophistication about him, but Angela also recognized the guarded look in his silver gray eyes, not so unlike the one in her own. She also couldn't see Ron behind her trying to stop her and Harry and Hermione trying to stop him.

"Indeed I am.  And you might be?" Malfoy answered, taking her hand.

Angela never had a chance to answer as Malfoy yelped as Angela muttered a spell that shocked him through her hand.  He quickly yanked his hand back and looked at her as if he would murder her.  Angela looked back unconcernedly and said "Angela Harte's the name.  Now what was it that you wanted?"

Malfoy's eyes narrowed as he looked back at Angela.  He growled menacingly and said "I wouldn't mess with me if I were you.  Do you know who I am?"

"Draco Malfoy.  Thought that was established.  Did you forget?"

Angela could hear Ron, Harry and Hermione laughing quite loudly.  Angela smiled innocently at Malfoy who narrowed his eyes to barely slits said, "Watch your back," and stalked away muttering something about "fucking Americans" and "My Father".  Angela slid the compartment door closed and went back to her seat before she began to laugh.

"Did you see the look on his face?  That was great!  What did you do to him?"  Ron said, his face a deep crimson from laughing so hard.

Angela laughed and said, "Oh, just a simple shocking spell."

"That was bloody brilliant.  This year is going to be great!"

They all laughed about it and continued talking.  Every now and then someone would come by to say hello to the three and by the end of the trip Angela had been introduced to Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil, and Neville Longbottom.  They were all really nice and by the time the train pulled to a stop she was actually nervous about which house she would be sorted into.  

As they stepped off the train Angela turned to Harry.  He gave her a quick, reassuring kiss before she walked along side the first years to the boats with Hagrid as Dumbledore had told her to.  She felt very self-conscious, standing at least a foot over all of the scared first years, but she knew that they were all just as nervous as she was, if not more so.  

Hagrid was a tall man, at least 12 feet tall, and quite scary looking at first.  He was very nice, however, and told her that Dumbledore had explained the situation.  She rode in the front boat with him across the lake.  The grounds looked much the same as they had two weeks ago, though she couldn't keep herself from looking around.  Many of the first years were doing the same thing, as this was their first time at the castle.

The boat sailed into what looked like an underground harbor where they all got out.  Hagrid knocked on the huge doors and Professor McGonagall came through.  

"Firs' years, and this young lady."  Hagrid said, pointing to Angela.

Angela felt slightly embarrassed to be pointed out like that, but McGonagall gave her a welcoming smile, which, as Harry would later tell her, is very rare.  McGonagall then led them into the Entrance Hall.  Angela began feeling a bit more at home, but still very nervous.  McGonagall gave a short speech about the four houses and the sorting ceremony before telling them to straighten themselves up.

"I will return for you when we are ready." McGonagall added. "Please wait quietly."

Angela knew what the sorting ceremony consisted of, but the first years began to twitter nervously among themselves about what they would have to do.  Someone suggested that maybe they would have to some sort of spell, which the others became very nervous about.  "_I wish all we had to do was a spell,_" she thought to herself.  She could do any spell, but she was afraid of what the hat would say.  Some of the first years began to sound very scared though so Angela turned and reassured them that all they had to do was put on a hat.  They all looked very relieved at that.  

The looks of relief quickly turned to fear on many faces again as the ghosts began coming into the Entrance Hall.  Angela, who, of course, had met all of the ghosts that summer smiled at them and they all waved.  Even the Bloody Baron gave a slight tip of his hat to her.  

Professor McGonagall came out just a few moments later to tell them that they were ready.  They trouped through the Great Hall to the front, where they would be sorted.  Angela could feel the stares of other students on her but she focused on the staff table, even missing Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny waving at her.  She did, however, see Dumbledore who gave her a twinkle-eyed smile.

Professor McGonagall placed a stool in front of the first years and on it placed a tattered looking hat.  Angela immediately recognized this as the Sorting Hat, which she had seen several times in Dumbledore's office.  Angela watched as a rip near the brim opened and the hat began to sing, to the amazement of the first years.  

Angela was too distracted to pay attention to the song though, her entire mind thinking about the actual sorting that would happen in a few moments.  She knew she wouldn't get into Slytherin, but the thought of being in anything but Gryffindor almost made her sick. Harry had said that the hat could read your thoughts and that it placed you according to what was in your mind.  He himself had asked not to be put in Slytherin, and the hat had put him in Gryffindor.  So maybe if she asked it to put her in Gryffindor it would.  

Angela was snapped out of her thoughts by a rather loud applause.  Professor McGonagall spoke, "In a few moments we will sort the first years.  However, we have a new student from America who will be sorted first.  Harte, Angela."

Angela stepped forward shakily and sat on the stool.  Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head and it almost fit her perfectly, so she could still see the entire school staring at her.  She closed her eyes just as the sorting hat began to speak to her.

"Ah…never thought I'd see you.  I see how they managed it though…quite ingenious of them.  Now is the problem of where to put you.  You have both the cleverness of Hufflepuff and the talent of Ravenclaw in your blood…but I see a courage here to match Gryffindor's.  Hmmm…this is a dilemma."  Angela sat there and listened as the hat debated with itself over which house to put her in for several long minutes.  Then it did something she didn't expect.

"Which house would you like to be in?"  the hat asked her.

"_What_?"

"Well, I cannot tell which you should go into just by your talents.  Do you have one in particular that you want to go into?"

"_Well, if you don't mind too much I would very much like to be in Gryffindor_."

"Ah, yes.  I see your friends.  Young Potter, Weasley, Granger. Very well, you shall be put in GRYFFINDOR!" 

The hat shouted the last word and Angela felt a huge grin spreading across her face.  She thanked the hat before taking it off and walking to the Gryffindor table where a huge applause welcomed her.

Ron slapped her on the back in congratulations as she sat next to Harry.  McGonagall began calling out names of the new first years.  Hermione gave her a huge smile as Harry leaned over and asked her in her ear, "How'd you do it?"

She knew that he was thinking about her being the heir of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw and that they had both talked about it being unlikely that she would get into Gryffindor countless times over the summer.  She looked up at him and smiled.  She whispered back in his ear "I asked it to."  Harry looked at her bewildered and told her, "I'll have to hear that story sometime."

They sat and listened as the rest of the first years were sorted, finally finishing with "Zarate, Shelly" ("HUFFLEPUFF!")  When the applause had died down Dumbledore stood and addressed the students.

"First, I would like to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Anthony."  A tall man with brilliant red hair stood at his name.  There was something vaguely familiar about him to Angela, though she couldn't place it.  There was a fairly warm applause, which Dumbledore waved his hand to stop after a minute.  "For those of you who were here last year," he continued, "the same safety precautions will be taken.  These are, for those of you who were not here, curfew at 8:00 for those under fifth year, nine for those at or above, no later.  The Dark Forest is off limits at anytime and there will be no walking on the grounds after dark."  He said this last bit looking straight at Angela and Harry, who gave him small smiles.  "Furthermore, all Hogsmeade visits are now restricted to fifth year and higher and will take place between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.  Any student not back from Hogsmeade before 6:00 will be dealt with by Mr. Filch in anyway he wishes."  At that Filch gave an evil smile, no doubt thinking of hanging students by their toes.  "I have but two more words for you.  Tuck in!"

Angela smiled as piles of food appeared on the platters in front of the students. They all ate the steaks and potatoes and other delicious foods until they were almost full.  When the desserts appeared on the platter Angela almost couldn't eat any of it, but she ate a scoop of the best vanilla ice cream she had ever tasted.  Harry and Ron couldn't seem to eat enough and more than once she saw Hermione glance at Ron and mutter "Boys."

Before she knew it though, the banquet was over.  All of the remaining food disappeared from the platters, leaving them looking as if there had never been food on them.  Dumbledore stood and spoke once again.

"It is late but before we go I would like you all to join me in singing the school song.  Everyone pick your favorite tune and we shall begin."

With a wave of his wand words appeared in the air and everyone began singing.  Angela looked at Harry, bewildered.  Harry grinned at her and sang the song in an upbeat tune.  Shrugging Angela began singing the song the song to a tune that popped into her head.  It took fifteen minutes for everyone to finish the song, even though it wasn't a very long song.  Dumbledore smiled as the last people finished and looked wistful.  

"It is now time for bed.  I know you are all eager to begin your weekends early tomorrow."

Hermione leaned across the table and whispered, "We've got to go help the first years but the password is 'Pateo Foris'."  She got up and started asking the first years to follow her and Ron.

Angela couldn't help herself as she snorted with laughter as Hermione and Ron walked away.  Harry looked at her as if she'd gone mad.  "I was just laughing at the password.  I mean, it's a bit obvious, don't you think?"  Harry continued to give her a look that said she was totally and completely out of her mind.  Angela realized that as much as they spoke it they wouldn't really know much Latin.  "_I knew this would come in handy someday_." She thought to herself as she laughed.  "It means 'open door' in Latin.  Get it?"

"Right…has anyone ever told you that you're mental?"  Harry said as they headed up the marble staircase.

"Yep.  Well, never in those words, but Mel tells me that I'm crazy or insane or psychotic all the time.  Of course she's only joking."  Angela added, seeing an angry look on Harry's face.  It hurt her to think about Mel and how long it had been since she had seen her.  She would write her a letter that day.  She owed her one; it had been a few days since she had sent her one.  Harry, perhaps seeing the sad look on her face, reached for her hand.  They climbed up the rest of the steps hand in hand.  

Just as they were getting to the fifth floor Peeves decided to show up.  He began pelting the students with old pieces of gum, cackling about how he had to so something while waiting for the "Ickle firsties."  Angela heard Ginny shriek as she got a piece stuck in her hair.  Angela quickly made her way to the front of the crowd, still holding Harry's hand.

"Peeves!" she shouted, glaring at him threateningly.

Peeves' face lost color as he looked at her, if it were possible for it to lose color.  "So sorry, your Harteness.  I didn't know you were here."  He quickly turned and zoomed off to another floor.

Angela heard clapping behind her and she blushed as she turned.

"That was great!" Dean said, reaching them quickly after removing the gum from his girlfriend's hair.  "How'd you do that?"

"I didn't just learn school things this summer, Dean," she said, smiling up at him before smiling at Harry, who gave her a kiss.

Angela heard a giggle behind them as they approached the portrait of the Fat Lady.  She turned and saw Parvati and Lavender looking at her and whispering, occasionally giggling.  She turned around, a deep red blush of anger spreading on her cheeks.  She remembered what it was like to be made fun of and didn't appreciate it so blatantly from these girls who had seemed perfectly nice when she had met them on the train.  The fact that they would have to sleep in the same room didn't improve anything, but what could she do?  "_I'll just ignore them.  Like I always do_," she said to herself as she heard Harry say the password and the Fat Lady swung open.  

The Gryffindor Common Room looked exactly as it had two weeks ago, except that now there were many more people.  She looked around at the groups of friends, laughing and catching up on what had happened to them over the summer.  Angela realized that there was more than just schoolwork that she had to catch up on.  She was six years behind on meeting and getting to know everyone.  

They were all very tired and all headed up to their separate dorms.  Harry gave Angela a quick kiss goodnight before running up the stairs that led to his dorm.  Angela knew where she was going and was up in the sixth year girl's dorm before she knew it.  Parvati and Lavender were already in there, and they giggled again as she walked in.  Still slightly pink from the last time, Angela turned a deep red.  She hoped for the first time that Dumbledore wasn't serious about the magic when she was upset or angry.  That was the last thing she needed, to accidentally blow up another student on her first real day at Hogwart's.  

Angela changed into her night things quietly and then took out some parchment, a quill, and a bottle of ink and lay on her bed, writing her letter to Melissa.  She had been writing for a half hour when she realized that the giggling had stopped.  She glanced through her bed hangings and saw Parvati and Lavender looking at her bed as if trying to determine if she were still awake.  Now assured that she was they looked at each other and nodded.  Parvati got up and walked over to Angela's bed.  Angela was curious to hear what she had to say, though she was fairly sure that it wasn't going to be good.

"Hey, Angela.  We're really glad that you're in Gryffindor.  You seem like you're really nice and we're sure that you'll be a great friend.  We also wanted to tell you…" she hesitated, looking back at Lavender quickly before continuing, "that we think that you and Harry look cute together."

Angela was astonished.  "Was that what you two were giggling about?"  Angela asked, knowing that her voice gave away her surprise.  

"Yeah.  Sorry 'bout all that."  Parvati gave her a genuine smile, one that Angela somehow knew she could trust.  

Angela returned the smile and said the only thing she could think to say.  "Thank you.  Really."

Angela returned to her letter as she smiled to herself.  She had so much to tell Melissa.  She knew that she was up much later than she should have been but she didn't mind a bit.  As she drifted off to sleep she couldn't help but think that this was going to be the best school year ever.


	10. Too Good To Be True

Disclaimer:  Yeah, nothing but Angela and the plot are mine. *pout*  Oh well.  I'll live.

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Angela spent her weekend between getting beat at chess by Ron, studying with Hermione, and spending time with Harry.  In the little time that they got alone they spent either making out or talking about ways to get Ron and Hermione together.

Angela had told Harry about overhearing his and Ron's conversation at the Burrow and also about what Hermione had told her.  She had only told this last bit after making Harry promise to never tell anyone, which wasn't quite as easy a task as she thought it would be.

"What're you going to do if I tell someone" Harry asked, a devilish grin playing across his face.

Angela gave him the nastiest look she could conjure and said "I don't believe you want to know that Mr. Potter."

Harry gave a look of mock hurt. "It's Mr. Potter now?  Just a few minutes ago it was Harry."

"Yes, well, that was before you made me mad.  Now promise."  Angela said, just a few inches from his face.

Harry grabbed her arms and for a second Angela thought he was going to kiss her.  Instead, he kicked her feet out from under her.  Angela fell but broke her fall by pulling him down with her.  They wrestled for a few minutes, after which Harry had her pinned to the ground under him.  

Harry got very close to her face again, again giving off the impression that he would kiss her.  He smiled however and said "What was that you were going to do?"

Angela tried to look as innocent as she could before putting her hands on his hips and saying, "Oh, nothing.  Just this.  _Rictusempra!_"

Harry rolled off, laughing as if he were being tickled by a hundred hands.  Angela lay there for a minute and watched him before he gasped out "I promise."  She smiled and performed the counter curse.  

Harry lay there panting for a minute before he said "That wasn't funny."  He gave Angela a stern look, as if trying to tell her never to do it again.  

Angela only shrugged and said, "It could have been worse."

They spent most of Sunday plotting ways to get Ron and Hermione to admit their feelings to each other, each plan sounding more ridiculous than the last.  They were sitting on a couch in the common room when Hermione came in and gave Angela an envelope, then proceeding to sit down, looking very exhausted. 

The note was from Dumbledore asking Angela to come to his office as soon as possible.  Angela gave a worried look at Harry and turned to ask Hermione if she knew what it was about only to find Hermione and Ron staring at each other.

"They may just save us the trouble," Angela whispered in Harry's ear.  She grabbed his arm and motioned for him to come with her.  They walked to Dumbledore's office talking about how weird Ron and Hermione were.

"I'm sure that we weren't much better.  I know I was always staring at you."  Harry said, running an affectionate hand through her hair.

"Really?"  Angela barely managed to squeak, looking up at him.

Harry laughed as he looked at her.  "Yeah, really.  I couldn't take my eyes off of you."

Angela felt really guilty for a moment.  She wanted to tell him the truth but she didn't want to hurt him.  She knew that she hadn't even really noticed anything but his good looks before the night her mother came to Hogwarts.  Of course she had let her eyes linger for a few moments sometimes, but she never felt a pull towards him.  Until that night.  She was about to say something when they reached the gargoyle.

They spent five minutes standing in front of the Gargoyle arguing about whether or not Harry would go up.

"There's no point to it.  Why should I go up?"  He asked her.

"You think I'm going to leave you here alone in a deserted hallway?  Yeah, no that's not going to happen."

"What, you think Voldemort's just going to crash through the wall and take me?  Or kill me?"

"Precisely.  Besides," she added, her voice lowering to almost a whisper, "I want you there if it's bad news."  She looked up at Harry scared and she knew right then that he would go with her.  

He put his arm around her and said, "Don't worry.  I'll always be here for you," giving her a loving smile.  

Angela returned his smile, though not quite as brightly.  She was scared.  Surely being called to the Headmaster's office like this couldn't be good.  Of course, knowing Dumbledore (or Albus, as her mind insisted on calling him) he could just want to chat.  "_Of course, that's it, he just wants to talk_."  She thought to herself as she said the password. 

She and Harry climbed onto the stairs, Harry wrapping his arms around Angela's waist.  They shared a long kiss on the stairs and another when they reached the top before Angela knocked on the door.  It opened on it's own and, giving Harry a final kiss, she stepped into the office.  

Angela found herself slightly annoyed that Dumbledore wasn't there, but she decided to entertain herself by talking to Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes.  

"Hey, Fawkes.  How're ya doin, huh?"  She smiled at the brilliantly colored bird who looked at her with very kind eyes.  Angela reached her hand into the cage and the phoenix allowed her to stroke his head.

"I see you've made a new friend." 

Angela jerked around at the sudden sound of a voice.  She saw Dumbledore and sighed with relief, though her heart did not quickly return to it's original pace.  She gave Dumbledore a weak smile.

"Yes, he's beautiful.  What was it that you wished to speak to me about Alb- Professor Dumbledore?"

The headmaster chuckled at her slip.  "I suppose you would want to call me Albus.  It is, after all, what your parents called me."

"I'm sorry.  I didn't mean any disrespect, sir."

"Nonsense.  I know you didn't and it's a perfectly understandable mistake, considering your situation.  Congratulations on making Gryffindor, by the way."

Angela looked at him, confused.  She knew that of all people he should have thought that she should be in Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff.  

"I know it's what you wanted."  Dumbledore said, looking at some parchment on his desk.  "That is not, however, why I called you here today.  I wish to talk to you about your test scores."

Angela's mind began to race wildly.  She had totally forgotten about her tests.  "_What if I did poorly?  Will they kick me out?  How bad did I do to have him call me here_?" 

Dumbledore again seemed to be able to read her mind, and gave a slight smile.  "Don't worry, you did fine.  In fact, you did better than any student we've ever had."

Angela didn't know what to say.  She looked at Dumbledore, shocked.  "Are you-are you sure?"

"Quite sure.  You've earned 14 out of 15 possible O.W.L.s.  The highest we've ever had anyone reach was 13 and that was by Voldemort himself and by your friend, Miss Granger.  Twelves are also rare, but a fair number have gotten them.  But never a fourteen."

Angela, while amazed that she had done so well, still couldn't stop a small part of her mind from berating herself for not getting fifteen.  Angela smiled to herself.  It seemed her perfectionism couldn't be driven out, even by magic.  "So, what does that mean, Professor Dumbledore?"

"Well," he began, looking at her through his half-moon glasses, "It means that you are very talented.  It also means that you are very intelligent.  Of course, we already knew both of those things." 

"Yes, sir." Angela responded by blushing.  She'd never had someone compliment her like that.  But still a part of her was nagging as to why she couldn't have gotten a 15.  She did have two complete Hogwarts educations, plus much more knowledge, in her head.  Before she could stop herself the question was past her lips.  "Sir, why couldn't I get a fifteen?"  She saw his surprised look. "I mean," she continued, "If I have two complete educations in my mind, plus some, why couldn't I get fifteen?  I should have been able to do that, shouldn't I?"

"My dear child, it is near impossible to get a fifteen.  I myself have never been able to get more than fourteen."  Angela looked at him with surprise. "Yes, I take the tests regularly, just to make sure I'm not forgetting it all.  I am getting on in years, you know."  He chuckled.  

Angela thought to herself that he had misunderstood her surprise.  He had just said that she and he had the same amount of knowledge, based on test scores.  She knew that he had much more experience, but she felt humbled to even have the same test scores as him.  She gave him a small smile, still shocked somewhat that she had done so well.

Dumbledore seemed to have one last thing to ask her "Angela, this also shows that you are more than advanced enough for sixth year.  You could skip a year and start as a seventh year tomorrow.  Or, you could take the N.E.W.T.s now.  I know that you would perform superbly on them if you took them now.  However, you are more than welcome to remain where you are if you would like."

Angela thought about the proposition.  She'd been in this predicament before, just a few years prior.  She had been doing very well at school in sixth grade and she was offered a chance to skip a grade.  She had taken it, of course, putting her closer to graduation and college.  She would have been the only 16-year-old senior that year.  She had regretted that decision since about a week after she made it.  She had had to make new friends and had always been teased for hanging out with people younger than her.  But it had also been good.  She wouldn't be so far away from graduating.  If she skipped a year now or just finished she could go back to America and finish high school.  However, just thinking about leaving Hogwarts made her sad, as she knew that would mean leaving Harry and Ron and Hermione and everyone else, even if it meant that she would get to see Melissa and her family from America that much sooner.

"I think, sir, that I would rather just stay where I am.  If that's alright with you.  I mean, even if I graduate earlier we won't be any closer to defeating Voldemort, as Harry still would have to graduate.  And, please correct me if I'm wrong, but he's not quite as far along as I am."

"Indeed he isn't.  As you wish.  You may go now."  And with that Dumbledore dismissed her from his office.

Angela walked out of the office to see Harry with a concerned look on his face.  He looked at her as if he expected her to start crying any moment.  Instead, she gave him a huge grin.  

"He just wanted to tell me my test scores.  I had totally forgotten about them."

"Oh," said Harry, sounding a bit disappointed.  "Well, what did you get?"

"Umm…well, I got fourteen O.W.Ls."  She said this with trepidation as she had no idea how he would react.  

Harry's face brightened at the news.  "Fourteen!  That's incredible.  I don't think I've ever heard of anyone getting fourteen!"

"Well, that's because no one ever has."  Angela said modestly.  "Of course, it's not really me…it's my parents."

"But still, that's wonderful!"  Harry grabbed her and pulled her close to him.  He gave her a kiss that sent her head swimming.  She felt herself trying to pull him closer as their tongues explored each others mouths. When they finally broke out of the kiss he leaned over and whispered, "Congratulations" in her ear.  Angela suddenly found herself longing for summer again, when she and Harry were alone.

"Hermione's gonna kill me."  Angela mumbled to Harry as they headed to the stairs.  

Harry laughed and said, "I'm sure she won't _kill_ you.  Maim, maybe, but never kill."

"Oh, great.  Maybe I should have left."  At this Harry suddenly jerked, as if someone had put ice down his shirt.

"Left?  What do you mean?  You cant' leave… you have two more years to do."

"Well, not technically.  Dumbledore told me that if I wanted I could skip a year or even take my N.E.W.T.s now…"  Angela trailed off at the end, not wanting to admit that she had considered it in front of Harry.

She could sense Harry's eyes looking at her, boring through her, as if trying to read her very soul.  "You didn't think about it, did you?"  he asked, a sudden tenseness in his voice.

Angela couldn't look him in the eye.  "Well, I…" she couldn't bring herself to tell him the truth, but she couldn't lie to him either.  She had never been unable to lie to anyone in her entire life and it made her uncomfortable.  She finally looked at him.  He was looking at her hard with his bright green eyes.  

"_What does he think, he owns me_?" Angela thought with a flash of anger.  "What does it matter?  I stayed, didn't I?"  She heard herself say angrily.

"It matters to me.  You thought about leaving didn't you?"  She could hear the anger in her voice.

"Yes!  Yes, I wanted to leave!  Alright?  Is that what you wanted to hear, God damn it!  I wanted to go back to America and leave all this behind!  I wanted to leave you behind!"  She could see the hurt evident in his eyes before she even finished, but she didn't care.  "It's none of your God damned business what I'm thinking.  Fucking asshole," she said to Harry as she turned from him. 

With that she walked away from Harry.


	11. Kiss and Make Up

Disclaimer:  I only invented Angela and the Plot.  Please don't kill me.  Or sue.

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The next few weeks were some of the hardest that Angela had to face.  She knew she should apologize for what she had said, but she was too stubborn to do it.  She felt herself closing off again, walls quickly going up where Harry had torn them down.  Hermione and Ron were beside themselves trying to get them to talk to each other, but Angela refused, and she was fairly sure that Harry was refusing too.

Lessons were going fine, except that the teachers were giving a ton of homework.  She knew it was because of the upcoming N.E.W.T.s, but she couldn't see the point in her doing it.  She did it though, mostly because she had nothing better to do.  She still hadn't been able to tell Hermione or Ron about her test scores, and they hadn't talked to her about it, so Angela could tell that Harry hadn't either.  She silently thanked him for that.

Angela had never felt this lonely before.  She knew loneliness from growing up with three brothers in a family that paid little attention, but never had it hurt like this. It felt like part of her were missing.  She berated herself for allowing Harry to get that close, allowing him to hurt her like that.  Then she would look across the classroom at him and know that she had hurt him too.  

She often ate lunch alone, either before or after Ron, Harry, and Hermione ate.  She didn't want Ron and Hermione to feel like they had to eat with her when they should eat with Harry.  She often was the blunt of Slytherin comments, mostly Pansy Parkinson, about being without friends.  She ignored them and told herself that someday she would get to see Pansy eat her words.

After the first two weeks she was beginning to regret her decision to stay.  She knew that she loved Hogwarts and that she would never be truly happy elsewhere, but who was she kidding?  The only reason she had stayed in the first place was Harry and just her just saying that she had considered going back to the States had hurt him.  After a month she got tired of avoiding him.

She decided to take a walk at lunchtime somewhere around the first of October.  She was walking along, humming a song quietly, and thinking about home.  At least there she was comfortable, she knew that there she could control her heart and that she couldn't let anyone hurt her.  This led to thoughts of Harry and their last conversation.  She almost cried every time she thought of that look in his eyes, like she had just told him that she didn't love him or that she was cheating on him, neither of which were true.  As much as she wanted to hate him she couldn't.  She couldn't even stop loving him. 

She didn't even notice where she was going until she hit something quite solid.  She let out a surprised gasp as she fell over backwards.  Thinking she had run into a tree like the idiot she felt like she looked up and saw none other than Draco Malfoy.  

Malfoy looked at her as if she were a fly that had just flown into his face.  "What's the matter Harte, lost?  I don't see the Wonder Trio anywhere around?  Did they disown you?"  He had a smirk on his face that Angela felt dearly like slapping off of him at this moment. 

"And I notice that you've lost your bumbling goons.  Did they get tired of following your stench Malfoy?"  She retorted as she picked herself up off the ground.  She stood only inches away from him and noticed now that he was a good five or six inches taller than her.  "_How did I miss that one on the train_?"  she asked herself.

Angela backed away and shot Malfoy a nasty look.  "Thanks for helping me up."

Malfoy raised his eyebrow slightly before giving her a look of his own.  "It was no problem at all.  Just be glad you didn't mess up my robes."  And with that he walked away.  Angela felt dearly like throwing a hex at his back but she knew that someone would probably see her, and she didn't feel like doing detention.  

She heard the bell and swore to herself.  She had double Potions this afternoon.  Potions classes weren't bad in themselves.  She rather enjoyed the subject matter in the class.  It reminded her somewhat of chemistry, which had been one of her favorite subjects in school in America.  But Potions also meant that she would have to see Harry, Malfoy, and, of course, Snape.  

Snape had not forgotten the comments she had made over the summer and seemed to hover over her desk trying to find something, anything to take points from Gryffindor.  She made it hard for him, answering all his questions correctly and doing every potion perfectly.  She had overheard him one day telling McGonagall that she was the best student he'd ever had.  She couldn't help smiling to herself as she walked down the hall that day.

She had a feeling that Potions today would be worse than normal.  She wasn't sure how, or why, but she knew it wouldn't be good.  In fact, just walking down to the dungeons was worse than normal.  Harry passed her silently in on the stairs, not even looking at her.  Ron and Hermione gave her encouraging smiles and Angela smiled weakly back at them.  She did notice that they were holding hands and had to smile to herself.  They finally had gotten together a week before, when Ron had told Hermione how he felt.  They really were perfect for each other, Hermione's coolness overriding Ron's temper.

When Angela reached the bottom of the stairs she found Malfoy and Harry fighting about something.  This wasn't anything new, except they had out their wands and both looked very angry indeed.  Angela got scared for a moment before she felt something that she had never felt before.  It felt as if there were something driving her eyes shut.  When her eyes were closed she saw the scene that had just been before her, but more played out.  She heard Malfoy shout a curse at Harry and suddenly felt her eyes jerk open.  She had to help Harry, she just knew it.  Right before Harry and Malfoy both shouted their curses at each other she lifted her hand and whispered "_Respiro!_"  Malfoy suddenly doubled over as if he had been punched.  Harry looked around, confused as to who had done it.  He saw her just as she let her arm down, looking at her with amazement.

"What is the meaning of this?  What is going on?"  Snape demanded, suddenly coming down the corridor.  Several Slytherins tried to speak at once before Snape held up a hand to silence them.  He looked down at Malfoy and stood and asked "Who did this to this boy?"  Everyone looked around, not knowing who had thrown the curse at Malfoy.  

Angela, feeling it was foolish to let everyone in Gryffindor be punished for something she had done, stepped forward and said, "I did it, sir.  Don't worry, he's just had the wind knocked out of him."

Snape's black eyes looked at her with pure contempt.  "Very brave of you to confess, Miss Harte, but I don't believe you."  With that he looked at Harry.  Angela was feeling angry now, upset both that Snape didn't believe her and that he had just wanted an excuse to hurt Harry.

"Excuse me, _sir_, but it was me.  Harry didn't do anything."  Angela could feel the anger rising inside her. 

"If you did it why is his wand out and not yours.  Surely you didn't have time to put it away."

Angela gave him a smile that said she knew something that he didn't "Of course I didn't have time to put my _wand_ away.  Of course, I never said anything about a wand, did I?"

Snape looked at her oddly.  "What do you mean, no wand?  How did you do it with no wand?  I believe I can prove you didn't do it right now.  Hold out your wand."

With that Angela held her hand out.  Snape gave her a nasty look accompanied by an even nastier sound.  "Your wand, Miss Harte.  Do not waste my time with your silly games."

"Unless I'm mistaken you want to do Priori Incantatem, am I right?"  Snape gave her a cold look that Angela took for agreement.  "Then you want to perform it on my fingers, the two middle ones.  Of course if you still don't believe me I could do it to myself.  I do have two hands."  

Snape gave her a look that said he would kill her if he ever got the chance.  This slowly turned to an evil grin, as if he saw an opportunity to humiliate her right then and there.  The entire hallway went silent, not sure of what to expect.  Even Malfoy had quit wheezing and gotten back on his feet.  Angela couldn't help but notice that he was staring at her.  A murderous stare, yes, but a stare nonetheless.  She also noticed that a certain green-eyed boy was staring at her from the other side.

Snape stood back and pointed his wand tip at her fingers.  "_Priori Incantatem!_"   A wheezing sound came out of the tips of her fingers along with a slight puff of smoke.

There were audible gasps throughout the hallway.  Snape himself looked very surprised before his eyes narrowed.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor for fighting in the hall!  And twenty points for your cheek.  Another ten for being late!  Get in the classroom!" he practically growled at her.

Angela went in and set down her bag. Across the room she could see Malfoy and his Slytherin 'friends' sneering at her.  She sneered right back before flicking them off while Snape's back was turned.  To her surprise Malfoy returned it but didn't tell Snape what she had done.  Surely he would love to get even more points taken off of Gryffindor.

Angela turned her attention to the board where Snape was writing the potion they would be working on that day.  As soon as she saw the name of the potion she began to get her ingredients out.  By the time Snape was finished writing on the board Angela already had the first three ingredients in her cauldron.  She knew that people were staring at her, either for starting so quickly or for the incident in the hallway, but she didn't care.  She wasn't going to let Snape ruin her favorite lesson.  

Angela quickly began thinking of the lesson that her parents had.  A kind man was explaining how to brew the potion and Angela felt herself smiling.  Suddenly she was jerked out of her memories by Snape, who had come to hover, as he always did.

"Can I help you, Professor?"  Angela asked innocently.

"If I were you, I wouldn't go showing off my ability to do wandless magic, Harte.  It's usually associated with Dark Magic, and now everyone in the class thinks you're in league with You-Know-Who."  He said in a voice that only she could hear.

"You mean Voldemort?"  She could see him flinch at the sound of the name. "I'm not evil, and I don't care what these people think."

"You will care.  You will care when everyone in the school is scared of you."

"Like you think they're scared of you?"

Snape's nostrils flared in anger.  "Miss Harte, I do not appreciate your attitude.  If you don't fix it and soon you will find your self in detention with another fifty points from Gryffindor."

Angela didn't want to lose a hundred points in one class, though she knew she could easily make up for it in classes the next day.  Points seemed to come easy to her, perhaps because she knew all the answers.  She and Hermione seemed to be competing for who could get the most points.   And so, instead of retorting to Snape's comment she threw him a dirty look and went back to her potion.

Snape, thankfully, moved off to harass someone else.  Angela felt sorry for the boy, whose name she wasn't sure of, but right now she was just glad to get Snape's greasy face out of hers.  

Angela finished her potion a half hour before class was over and Snape made a point to demonstrate hers in front of the class.  "I'm sure you've forgotten an ingredient to have made it that quickly, Miss Harte.  Why don't you test it for us?"

It was a Strengthening Potion, which meant that if Angela had made it properly she should be able to lift at least three times what she normally could.  Angela poured herself a cup and downed it.  Snape looked slightly disappointed that she hadn't fallen over dead as she would have if it had been brewed too improperly.  

"What would you like me to lift?"  She asked Snape, looking him right in the eye.  Snape pointed at his desk, which was cluttered with parchments and various bottles.  Angela knew that it would be very heavy and she also knew that if she messed anything up on the desk she would get more points taken off.  She just nodded her head and walked towards it.  Without a moments hesitation she lifted it, held it for about a minute, and set it back down without a single thing on the desk moving.

Applause rang out from the Gryffindor side of the room, accompanied by hisses from the Slytherins. Angela didn't care.  She walked back to her cauldron and took her seat before looking at a fuming Snape.  "Is there anything else I can assist you with Professor?"

"You can leave."  Snape said, sounding as if he wanted to scream the words.  Angela shrugged and packed her things up before leaving the classroom.  She hadn't gotten far down the hall before she could hear Snape yelling at the remaining students.  She felt a twinge of guilt for pissing him off, but she had, after all, only done what he asked her to do.

She didn't feel like hanging around in the dark corridor, so she decided to go up and get a sandwich from the kitchens, since she had missed lunch.  She and Harry had visited it frequently over the summer, generally when they had nothing better to do.  Only the door had changed since her parents had been students from what Angela could see.  It used to be a painting of a Banana Tree that you had to compliment before it would let you through.  

Angela walked quickly through the corridors and reached the door.  She reached up and tickled the pear, which turned into a handle fairly quickly.  Angela stepped in and asked the house-elves for a ham sandwich.  Almost before the words were out of her mouth a sandwich was zooming towards her.  They all knew her from the summer and liked her. 

"Thanks guys!"  She said, flashing them a wide smile.

As she stepped out of the kitchen, munching on her sandwich she ran right into Professor Dumbledore.

"Professor!  I didn't see you there."  She looked down at the sandwich in her hand and quickly put it behind her back.

Dumbledore smiled at her and then looked concerned.  "What are you doing out of class?"

"Oh, Professor Snape kicked me out after I showed him that my Strengthening Potion worked."

Dumbledore had a questioning look on his face, but Angela didn't feel like explaining the story.  She gave Dumbledore a tired look, not wanting to answer any questions.  She really had to go start her homework if she was going to get anything else done that night, and getting a head start on it would be great.

"Um, could I go Professor?  I have a lot of homework, and I kinda wanted to get it done early, so I could go for a walk before dark."

"Of course, Angela."  Angela walked off, but she could still feel his eyes on her back.  She realized as she walked back to Gryffindor Tower that she hadn't even thought about asking him if she could leave now, but it occurred to her that she didn't really want to.  As lonely as she was she knew that she would be lonely plus some if she went back to America.  Lonely she could deal with.  And besides, she really did love Hogwarts, with it's secret passages, and beautiful grounds.  At least, that's what she told herself was the reason she didn't want to leave. 

Angela hurried up to the common room so she could grab a good chair before the bell rang and the other classes let out.  She sat in the most comfortable chair in the room, fairly close to the fire and started her homework.

When she finished three hours later the Common Room was almost empty yet again.  It was dinnertime, but she didn't feel hungry.  Looking around to see who else was there she spotted Harry sitting in a corner, concentrating on a piece of parchment.

Angela debated with herself for a moment before getting up and walking over to him.  She sat on a couch across from him and although he didn't look up she could tell that he knew that she was there.  

"Harry?" she asked tentatively.  He didn't look up but he did stop writing for a second, which Angela took as a good sign.

"Ok, I'm just going to say this.  You can do whatever you want with it.  I'm sorry.  I'm not sorry for thinking about leaving, but I am sorry that I yelled at you and for the things I said.  I shouldn't have done that.  Please accept my apology, Harry."

With that she stood and walked out the door.  She couldn't watch him as he thought over what she said.  She decided that, instead of going to dinner, she would go for that walk she had talked to Dumbledore about before it got dark.

She had gone around the lake almost twice, thinking about Harry and what else she could do, when she looked up and saw someone watching her in the distance.  Even though they were quite far apart she could tell who it was from the blond, almost white hair that shone in the fading sunlight.  "Draco Malfoy," she muttered to herself.   She kept walking but didn't take her eyes off of him, as he kept watching her.  He was standing so still that Angela thought for a minute that maybe someone had frozen him there until she saw him shift his weight.  "_Why is he watching me_?"

She was thinking about Malfoy and why he would be watching her so intently that she didn't even hear Harry running up behind her.

"Angela!"

Angela jumped at the sound of his voice, quickly looking to see who it was.  When she saw that it was Harry she felt a deep relief, but also a small fear.  "Good lord, Harry.  You scared me."  She was trying to catch her breath and force her heart to return to a normal pace as she glanced over her shoulder and noticed that Malfoy had disappeared.

"Angela, I'm sorry."  Harry was panting and Angela realized that he had run down here.  Seeing as she was a fair distance from the castle his breathlessness was understandable.  

"For scaring me?"

"No, for being mad at you.  I shouldn't have asked you if you considered staying.  You were right, that night, when you said that the only thing that mattered was that you stayed."

"I shouldn't have said what I did, but you did make me mad.  I had to think about it though.  You may not understand it Harry but I left a lot when I came here.  I was almost finished with High School, I would be going into University next year.  There were a lot of things that I left in America that I wouldn't mind having back, like my brothers and my friends.  I couldn't make the decision without weighing all the options.  I could have left and returned to a normal life…well, a semi-normal life.  But I couldn't leave.  I couldn't leave Hogwarts; I couldn't leave all the friends I've made here.  And I couldn't leave you Harry."  With those last words she looked up at Harry, not knowing what he would say or think.

To her surprise Harry gave her an understanding smile.  "I'm not used to people having lives outside of Hogwarts.  We all come here so young that it's easy to forget that there is a world out there.  And I guess I would have done the same thing if it had been me.  I guess it hurt that you even considered leaving, after all that we shared, but I didn't think of it from your perspective.  I'm sorry I was stupid."

"I'm sorry I was stubborn.  I should have just told you all this that night, but I don't think I could find the words.  I'm glad I did though."

They stood there looking into each other's eyes before Angela realized that it was rapidly becoming dark.  "Come on!" she said, grabbing his hand and starting toward the castle.  "I don't want to get strung up by my toes for a week by Filch, just for being out late!"

They ran the whole way to the castle and made it inside just before the doors were locked.  

"Did you eat?"  Harry asked.

"No.  I'm famished.  Is dinner over?"  Angela asked, looking into the empty Great Hall.  

"Yeah, but we have about an hour before we have to be back in Gryffindor Tower.  Would you like to go get something from the kitchens?"

"I would love to."  And for the first time in a month Angela felt truly happy.

* * *

Angela and Harry sat in the Gryffindor common room forty-five minutes later after a delicious leftover meal that the house elves were only too happy to give them.  They were talking to each other when Ron and Hermione came over and sat on a couch across from them.  Angela flashed them a cheerful smile and they smiled back, looking confused.  Angela couldn't help but laugh at the look on Ron's face.  

Hermione looked at them uncertainly.  "So, have you two…made up?" 

"Yeah.  We kissed and made up, don't worry."  Harry said, looking at Angela mischievously.   At that Hermione laughed and Ron looked at them like they were both mental.  Harry saw his look and said, "Don't look at us like that.  You know exactly what I'm talking about."  At that both Ron and Hermione turned bright shades of red while Angela and Harry laughed.

Hermione quickly changed the subject to what had happened that afternoon outside the potions classroom.  

"Oh, yeah!  I meant to thank you for that!  Why'd you do it?" Harry asked her.

"Well, I saw Malfoy doing the curse on you and I just couldn't let him I guess.  I don't know."

"You mean, you had a dream about it?"  Harry asked her, with a confused look on his face.

"No, actually.  I saw it right there in the corridor."  She told them about how her eyelids suddenly wanted to close and what she had seen.  "I guess I should have asked Dumbledore about it earlier when I ran into him."

"I didn't know you could do wandless magic."  Ron said, in an awed voice.

"Yeah, well, I try to use my wand most of the time…I don't really want to stand out but I didn't have time to get my wand out.  Snape told me that it's connected with Dark Magic.  Is that true?"

Hermione was the first to answer, of course. "Well, it's not that it's connected with the Dark Arts, it's just that people who can do wandless have very powerful magic abilities and most want to use them for the Dark Arts, to try to gain power.  It depends on the user, just like a wand or a potion."

"Right.  So people won't think that I'm evil because I can do Wandless Magic, right?"  Angela didn't want people to think that she was in with a "man" that she hated as much as she hated Voldemort.

"I wouldn't guarantee that."  Harry said, suddenly.  "When they all found out I could speak Parsel Tongue, people avoided me like the plague.  If people think that you're evil, they're going to think that."

"Oh, great.  Now people are going to think that I'm working for Voldemort."  She could see Ron flinch at the sound of his name, much the same as Snape had.  "At least I know Dumbledore doesn't think I'm evil," she said with a sigh.  

They spent the rest of the night playing Exploding Snap or Wizard Chess.  Neither Angela nor Hermione were good at either one, but it was fun nonetheless.  Angela couldn't help but feel at home again.


	12. Surprising Ally

Disclaimer: Jo's the genius who thought up HP and all that…I just throw in my own stuff.  So don't sue me.  Please.

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If September had been one of the worst months of Angela's life, October was definitely one of the best.  Along with being on speaking terms with Harry again Lessons couldn't have been going better.  Snape still didn't like her, but she was a Gryffindor so that was to be expected.

They had started to work on hexes and curses in Defense Against the Dark Arts.  As they had all been shown the Unforgivable Curses in Fourth Year, Professor Anthony didn't see any point in covering material that had already been covered.  Angela enjoyed 'learning' the hex defenses that they were being taught, as she already knew how to do the hexes that they were defending against.  Professor Anthony seemed to know this and often called her to the front to help him demonstrate.  So far he had never gotten a hex past her defenses and she had gotten two past his.  Fortunately the red haired teacher had a sense of humor to match a Weasley's and took it all in stride.  Several times he held her back to congratulate her or to ask her where she had learned the defense, but her answer was always the same.  A smile.  

She had finally figured put why he looked so familiar though.  She was laying in bed one night, going over the hexes they had learned when she saw Professor Anthony as a sixteen year old laughing with the man she recognized from the photo album to be her father.  The next class she had asked him if he had known the Armstrongs and he had said that he did, with a very sad look in his eye.  Angela had stayed for hours talking to him about her parents and what they had been like.  Before she left he gave her a very strange look.

"What are you looking at?" she had asked him, feeling self-conscious under his stare.

"Nothing, it's just that I just realized that you have Morgan's eyes.  That's all."

Angela had blushed and left.

Ancient Runes was as exciting as Runes could be and Angela could enjoy it now that she didn't have an essay to write for the class every night.  It quickly became one of her favorite classes and she and Hermione would often sit and have long discussions about it.  Harry and Ron often looked at them and shook their heads when they heard them talking.

Angela had opted to drop Arithmancy in favor of Care of Magical Creatures though.  She knew all of the Arithmancy, as her father had excelled at that, but neither of her parents had taken Care of Magical Creatures.  According to Dumbledore they were both allergic to many animal hairs, so they couldn't.  Angela had been blessed with an allergy to nothing, so she enjoyed all the time around the creatures that Hagrid found for them to study.  They had studied Centaurs for a while, and Angela had met several of the centaurs from the Forbidden Forest.  They seemed to be drawn to her for some reason, which Dumbledore only speculated to be her ability to tell the future that they could sense.  In any case it was one thing that Angela had never imagined ever doing, as she had always thought Centaurs to be pure myth.  

After Centaurs they had begun to study Phoenixes, with Fawkes being the main animal of attraction.  Malfoy being Malfoy he found several nasty things to say about Fawkes, but often a threatening look from Angela was all it took to get him to shut up.  He still had the need for revenge burning in his eyes, but she knew he wouldn't try it until he knew she couldn't or wouldn't fight back.

The odd thing was that Angela still found Malfoy watching her when she took walks by herself.  When Harry was with her he was nowhere to be found, but if she decided to go on a noontime stroll around the lake alone she would see him looking at her from the same place.  She had yet to figure out what he was doing, but until he tried something she wouldn't do anything about it.  She didn't even tell Harry because she knew that he would start something with Malfoy.  There was also something calming about Malfoy's presence when she was walking alone, almost like she knew that he wouldn't let anything happen to her and that made her feel good.

Ron's mother had been writing them letters, keeping them up to date on everything at home.  Her most recent letter had brought some good news.  At least, Angela had thought it was good.  Apparantly Percy had joined the Order, though still not moving back with his parents.  He and his father had completely made up, Percy apologizing for being "ignorant".  Ron felt this was something that Percy would never do, but he knew it made his mum happy, so he didn't write anything of the sort in his reply letter.

The first Quidditch match of the season was approaching slowly.  Harry had been unbanned from Quidditch to be named team captain.  He was one of three returning players (the beaters that had replace Fred and George had quit), which meant that he had to recruit four new players,  which he didn't mind.  "That means I can put the perfect team together," he had told Angela.

The tryouts went superbly.  Harry had a wonderful team that was almost better than the team Harry's third year, when they had won the Quidditch Cup the first time.  Ron was still keeper, and a very good one at that, as Angela remembered from all of the games they had played over the summer.  Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas were the new beaters, and, from what Angela heard, they were beaters to rival the Weasley twins.  Ginny Weasley had switched to chaser, sharing the position with Lavender Brown and Neville Longbottom, who had finally gotten over his fear of brooms and flying to become a very good chaser.

After only a month and a half of practicing they were fast becoming favorites to win the Quidditch Cup for the third year running (excluding Harry's fourth year, when Quidditch had been cancelled).  As they basically had a team of people who had never played before they had gotten a note from Professor McGonagall to use the Quidditch Pitch for practice four days a week, leaving one day a week for each of the other teams to practice.  

Angela often went for walks while they practiced, as she still had a great need to be alone. Having been alone most of her life, it was what she was used to.  She also wanted to have the feeling of comfort that she knew she got from Malfoy watching her when she was alone, but she wouldn't admit that to herself.

Malfoy was still the same old jackass he had always been in the halls but when she was walking and he was watching her she could tell that something was different.  Even the way he stood wasn't arrogant, like it always was elsewhere.  She didn't know how she knew, but in her gut she had a feeling that when he was watching her he lost the guarded look in his eyes.

One afternoon, about a week before Halloween, Angela was walking after dinner, throwing some food to the giant squid.  It was still fairly light out, as she had eaten early, and looking around she could see the Gryffindors practicing Quidditch.  Even from this distance she could spot Harry and she smiled as she watched him fly around on his Firebolt.  She could also see Malfoy watching her.  She decided to sit under the shade of a tree for a few minutes, to think before she went back inside.  She hadn't realized how tired she was and within minutes she was asleep.

She was having a dream.  She couldn't tell where she was but she surmised from her surroundings that it was Hogwarts.  She looked straight ahead and saw…herself!  She was asleep against the tree.  She must be Malfoy in the dream.  She saw it getting dark and hoped that she would wake soon, so she wouldn't get in trouble.  Just then she felt herself stiffen.  She saw something that made her heart freeze.  Two glowing red eyes staring at her not far from where she slept.  She saw a smile spread across Voldemort's face and before she knew it she was running towards her form under the tree.  She saw Voldemort lift his wand and felt Malfoy dive towards her sleeping form.  Just as Malfoy hit her she jerked awake.

She saw at once that the dream was real.  She saw Voldemort raising his wand, and her hands felt as though they were on fire.  Malfoy was on top of her, protecting her, shielding her from what Voldemort wanted to do.

"Move, you foolish boy.  This is none of your concern."

"I won't let you hurt her.  You'll have to kill me first."  Angela heard the hatred dripping from Malfoy's voice.

"Very well.  _Avada Kedavra!_"

Without thinking Angela lifted her hands, putting her arms underneath Malfoy's, and shouted the block, followed by a few well-placed curses.  "_Desino Mortis!  Infligo Caput!  Prosterno!_"

Again the blue light swallowed the green and was followed by a red light, which hit Voldemort upside the head and a bright purple that knocked him down.  Angela quickly got from under the astounded Malfoy and walked over to Voldemort, muttering the pain relief spell as she walked.  She saw his face looking up at her, and thought for a moment that she saw a flicker of fear on it.  It was gone in an instant and Angela wouldn't be able to remember if it had actually happened or if she had just imagined it later.

"I should kill you now, but I know that it would do no good.  You'd come back and we'd just have to do this all again.  _Expelliarmus!_"  She quickly caught Voldemort's wand and smiled down on him cruelly.  "Let's see where you get without this."

"You silly witch.  I can buy another wand."

"It won't work as well and you know it.  I will do you a favor though and send you back where you came from.  It's more that you deserve, asshole.  I should send you to Hell, and soon enough I will.  _Reverti!_"  And with that Voldemort disappeared.

Angela took a few deep breaths to calm herself before she turned and looked at the now standing Malfoy who looked at her with wonder.  There was an awkward silence while they stood there looking at each other.  Angela was the first to speak, doing so after two minutes of complete silence.

"I guess we owe each other one, huh Malfoy?"

"I-how did you do that?  I mean, first off, that's an unblockable curse.  Second, you spoke to him like he was nothing!  No one does that and lives!"

"Yeah, well, it's kind of a hobby of mine.  Listen," she said, looking at the almost dark sky, "how about I tell you about it while we go back to the castle.  I need to tell Dumbledore about this too…you should probably come with me."

"Right."

"First, before I answer any questions I want to know why you always watch me."

Malfoy looked away guiltily.  

"Don't worry, I mean, I don't mind you watching me.  It actually made me feel…safe.  Almost safer than when Harry and I walk together.  I just…don't understand.  I mean, we've been nothing but mean to each other since we met."

"Well, I…I can't really tell you why."

"What?  Why not?"  Angela was quickly growing frustrated at his unwillingness to tell her.

"Well, I suppose I could," Malfoy said with a sigh, "but I don't think Dumbledore will be very happy with me."

"What does Dumbledore have to do with anything?"

"He told me to watch you.  You see, my father is a Death Eater.  He's actually one of Voldemort's closest supporters, so I get to hear about all of the plans.  I heard how Voldemort had attempted to get Potter this summer and I actually had to laugh at Voldemort for being so bumbling as to mess that up.  But I don't support the Dark Lord.  He's got nothing that I want.  In fact, I'm very against him.  So, I went to Dumbledore and told him all that I had heard from my father and asked if there was anything that I could do to help.  He became very interested when I said they were planning on killing a girl named Angela Harte.  I had no idea who you were at the time.  This was about a week before we came to Hogwarts, so I hadn't met you yet.   Dumbledore asked me to watch you whenever you went out alone, as he knew you had a fondness for doing so."

"So, you've been watching me to protect me?"

"Yeah.  I just, couldn't stand to see another innocent person die, especially not at Hogwarts.  I guess you're not so innocent after all though."  He added, looking down on her.  There was a strange look in his eyes that looked almost like admiration.  Angela tried to place the look for a second before she spoke.

"I suppose I'm not.  But before you go calling Voldemort bumbling for this summer that was me too."  

"What?  You were here this summer?"

"Yeah.  I had five years of education to catch up on."

"In two months?"  Malfoy sounded incredulous.

"Month and a half.  It's a long story that I might tell you sometime.  I guess I owe you some answers though.  The spell that he cast isn't unblockable.  Not anymore, as you saw.  I think I may be the only one that knows it right now, but others are learning.  And the reason I talk to him like he's nothing is because he is nothing.  I mean, why should I be afraid of someone whose ass I can kick with a wave of my hand?"

Malfoy had to laugh at that.  "I've never heard anyone say that.  Not even Potter.  But then, I guess he can't do what you can."

"No," Angela began thoughtfully, "I don't think he can.  But I don't think it's his fault.  I mean…well, I can't say what I mean."

Malfoy looked at her and she was surprised to see something that resembled amusement in his eyes.  "I told you my secret, surely you can tell me yours."

Angela looked up at him, smiled and said, "Well, I could…but then I'd have to kill you."

Malfoy looked at her, confused, but before he could say anything they reached the front doors, where Dumbledore stood waiting for them.  There wasn't a trace of a smile on his face when he said, "Please follow me."

Angela and Malfoy exchanged looks as they followed Dumbledore.  He led them to his office where he motioned for them both to sit in chairs opposite his.

"Why are you out after dark?"  Dumbledore began without hesitation, looking back and forth from Angela to Malfoy.  They looked at each other then at Dumbledore, beginning to explain at the same moment.

"Well, sir—"

"You see—" 

Malfoy motioned for her to go first.

She told Dumbledore about her walk and how she had fallen asleep under the tree.  She told him about her dream and how she had woken up when Malfoy had protected her.  She told what she had done to Voldemort and gave a censored version of what she had said to him.  Dumbledore nodded slightly as she finished her story.  He looked at Malfoy who nodded and added "That's exactly what happened," before giving Angela an astonished look.

"Do you have the wand?"  Dumbledore asked, looking back at Angela.

"Oh, yeah.  Here it is."  She pulled the wand out of the pocket of her robe and laid it on his desk. Dumbledore picked it up gingerly and looked at it for several minutes, looking thoughtful and very tired all at the same time.

"Um, sir?"  Angela said tentatively.  Dumbledore looked at her and she continued, "What are you looking for?"

Dumbledore smiled sadly.  "I was merely thinking about all the pain that a single wand can cause.  I was also thinking about Tom when he was at school.  I often wonder what he could have been."  

Angela and Malfoy looked at each other, and Angela was once again surprised by the look in his steel eyes.  She saw something similar to concern, something that it was commonly thought impossible for all Malfoys to feel.  They both looked at Dumbledore as he sighed.  "I suppose you should both return to your common rooms.  Please don't be out after dark again."  Dumbledore looked pointedly at Angela when he said that.  She knew that he was probably tired of her skirmishes with Voldemort.

"Yes, sir."  They said together before leaving the office.  Angela hesitated for a moment outside the door before moving toward the stairs. 

"I hope he's going to be ok," Angela said, glancing back at the door before joining Malfoy on the stairs.

"I'm sure he'll be fine.  What did you mean earlier when you said you would have to kill me if you told me your secret?"

It was obvious that this had bothered him and Angela couldn't help but laugh lightly.  "I didn't really mean that I would have to kill you.  It's just an American saying.  I guess it doesn't really matter now though, you already know most of my secrets anyway."  Angela proceeded to tell Malfoy everything about her parents and her past.  She didn't know why she was telling him this when Ron and Hermione didn't even know, but somehow she felt that she could tell Malfoy anything, like they had a bond that couldn't be broken.  Malfoy seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say and before they knew it they were in front of the Fat Lady.  Angela turned to Malfoy and decided to ask him something that had been bothering her for a while.

"How do I know that you aren't going to run and send an owl to your Daddy?  Voldemort would love to get his hands on all of the goodies I just told you."

She could see Malfoy's eyes visibly darken at the mention of his father.  "I would never, ever do anything my father wanted me to do with Voldemort."

Angela knew that he was telling the truth and nodded to let him know that she understood.

"Now it's my turn to ask you something." Malfoy began,  "That day in the hall outside of Potions, why did you hex me?"

"Were you not going to perform the same hex on Harry?"

"Well, yeah, but that was between Potter and I."

"I couldn't let you hurt him."

Malfoy looked her in the eye.  "You really do care for him, don't you?"

"I love him."  At that Angela saw the familiar guarded look come back in Malfoy's eyes.  "Thank you for walking me back."  She turned to say the password when Malfoy spoke again.

"It's not going to change."

She turned back to face him.  "I know, but that's the way life is sometimes," she said, smiling sadly.

With that they had an agreement that nothing would be different.  As much as they both would have wanted it to change they would still be Draco Malfoy, Slytherin Prince, and Angela Harte, Gryffindor Wonder.

Angela climbed through the portrait hole, thinking about what had just happened.  She ran right into Harry who had apparently just been about to leave.

"Angela!  I was just about to go look for you!  Where were you?"

Angela told them all everything in a quiet corner of the common room, omitting Malfoy from the whole story.  The last thing that she needed was Harry and Malfoy to be fighting over something pointless again.

But Angela couldn't help but notice that Malfoy was in all of her dreams that night.


	13. Halloween Excitement

Disclaimer: Don't sue me.  Lots of other people own the rights to HP…I'm not one of them.  I just like using the characters.

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Angela grew very excited in the week leading up to Halloween.  It had been years since she had celebrated Halloween, though it had always been one of her favorite holidays.  She knew that Hogwarts celebrated in high fashion and she could hardly wait.  

"You know," She said while talking to Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the common room one afternoon a few days before Halloween, "I never dressed as a witch for Halloween.  I was everything from a clown to a serial killer, but never a witch."  

Hermione got a thoughtful look on her face and said "You know what?  I don't think I ever did, either."

Harry looked slightly embarrassed.  Angela was somewhat sure that he had never even been given the chance to dress as anything for Halloween.  Ron just looked completely confused.  "Dress up?  What would you dress up for?"

Angela explained the Muggle customs that came with Halloween.  Ron seemed to understand everything, but still had a questioning look on his face as Angela finished.

"And, why exactly would you dress as a serial killer?" 

"Nothing better to be."  Angela said with a shrug, "My brothers and I forgot about it and didn't get costumes ready in time, and we wanted some candy so we went out in our normal clothes and claimed to be serial killers."

It slightly dampened her spirits that Harry wouldn't let her go on any walks alone anymore.  She knew that he was just protecting her and that he was doing it because he loved her, but she had never been real big on obeying people who didn't have any real authority over her.  She did what he asked though, mostly to avoid a fight.  She watched the Gryffindors practice Quidditch instead, alternating between studying and marveling at how attractive Harry was in his Quidditch robes.  

Often she would feel left out.  She remembered the freedom that she had always felt when she was flying through the air that summer and she wished that she could feel that again.  Finally, she got the nerve to ask Harry if he would let her fly his broom one day after practice.  

Harry looked dubiously at the darkening sky and then back at Angela.  She was giving him her best puppy dog eyes and he sighed and handed his broom over.

"Five minutes, then we go in."

"Deal.  Thanks, Harry!"  She flashed him a smile and gave him a quick kiss before mounting the broom and kicking off from the ground.

Angela marveled in the familiar freedom that she felt when she was flying.  She knew that flying did something for her that nothing else ever could.  She didn't worry about anything while she was flying and she loved that.  She flew around for two minutes before she felt his eyes on her.  She went a hundred yards up, looking around for where he was.  Sure enough, in his normal spot, looking right at her, was Draco Malfoy.  She didn't know _how_ she could feel him watching her, all she knew was that she could, and the thought made her feel safe.  She flew in circles for her final three minutes trying to take her eyes off of Malfoy as little as possible.  She finally saw Harry waving for her to come down, but when she glanced back at Malfoy for one last glimpse, he was gone.  She aimed towards the ground and landed softly right in front of Harry.

"Thanks.  I needed that," she said to him, breathlessly.

"No problem.  What were you looking at up there?"

"Huh?  Oh, I was just looking at the grounds.  I had forgotten how beautiful they were from up there."  She put her arm around Harry's waist as they started for the castle.

Harry put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him.  "So are you," he said in a quiet voice before kissing the top of her head.

* * *

The day of Halloween seemed to drag on into what seemed like forever.  In Herbology they were replanting Devil's Snare, which was taking forever because it kept wrapping itself around their arms.  Thankfully Hermione kept a fire going while Angela, Ron, and Harry repotted them.  They spent the class period reminiscing about their first year, reminded of it by the Devil's Snare, which they had had to get past to stop Voldemort from getting the Sorcerer's Stone.  

Care of Magical Creatures also felt like it would never end.  They had finished Phoenix's and were studying Acromantula.  Hagrid had convinced his 'friend' Aragog to allow one of his children to come and be studied.  Many of the guys in the class had found it wonderful while the girls did not.  Most went up to it though, just out of curiosity.  Ron, Harry, and Angela stayed as far away from it as possible.

"Oh, my God…" Angela said when Hagrid walked out of the Forest followed by the giant spider.  Ron had nearly turned and run.  Harry was just looking at it with wide eyes, as if remembering the spiders that nearly killed him once before.  Hagrid strolled over to talk to them after the rest of the class (excluding Malfoy, who Angela noticed was keeping horrified distance) was looking at the spider.

"Hey, guys.  Are ya alright Ron?"  He could see the ashen color of Ron's face.  Ron just looked up at him, trying to speak.  

Harry finally piped in "He's afraid of spiders Hagrid."

"How can ya be afraid o' spiders?  They're 'armless creatures!"

At this Ron seemed to find his voice.  "Harmless?  You call that thing harmless?  That…that…creature and its millions of siblings tried to kill us once!  That thing isn't harmless!"  Ron was nearly screaming.  Hermione rushed over to see what the problem was.  Ron continued screaming his protests to Hagrid's comment about the harmlessness of the creatures until Hermione came and put a hand on his arm, which stopped him, mid-sentence.

"Ron," she said softly, "he didn't mean anything by it."  Ron studied her for a bit, and then looked back at Hagrid, who was looking slightly hurt by Ron's verbal onslaught.  He ran a hand through his hair and then looked up, slightly embarrassed.  "Sorry 'bout that Hagrid.  It's just that…I don't like spiders.  At all."  He chanced one last look at the Acromantula before he turned and faced the castle.

Angela also had a deep-rooted fear of spiders, though it wasn't because they had nearly killed her.  Hers was just a normal, irrational arachnophobia.  She held tight to Harry for the entire class and didn't let go until they were back in the castle.  Lunch was a tense affair with both Angela and Ron glancing around for spiders everywhere.  Suddenly a thought came to Angela.

"Hey, you said they have live bats as decorations.  They don't have live…spiders do they?" she asked with a gulp.

"No, thank God."  Ron had quickly answered, looking around again at the mention of spiders.

After the spider incident the last place Angela wanted to go was potions, but that's where they had to go right after lunch.  As they walked in and looked around Angela noticed Malfoy looking at her for just a second before turning and saying something to Crabbe and Goyle, who laughed dumbly.

Angela smiled to herself and began getting her ingredients out.  Snape had taken to writing the instructions on the board before class began, which Angela suspected was to prevent her from starting before he finished talking again.  He was not a man who liked to be toyed with, though it was fun.  Not as fun as toying with Voldemort, but fun nonetheless.  

The period went uneventfully for once, with Snape only asking Angela about ten questions, all of which she answered correctly.  He had taken ten points from Gryffindor for being a know it all but grudgingly gave them 20 points for her correctly answered questions.  Angela couldn't believe her good luck and looked up at Snape, incredulous.  He glared back at her and she had quickly turned back to her potion, not wanting to test his patience and lose some of the precious few points Snape had ever given to Gryffindor.

As they walked out of the class Ron voiced his disbelief as well.  "Did Snape just give us points??"

"I think so," was all Angela could say.

Ron's eyes narrowed and he said, "I don't think that was really Professor Snape.  I think he's been…possessed or something!"

"Abducted by aliens?"  Angela offered up.  Ron gave her a confused look and she laughed.  "I'll let you explain that one Hermione."  Hermione launched herself into an explanation about aliens and UFOs and how they were completely unreal.  Angela and Harry rolled their eyes as they began climbing the stairs to Gryffindor tower.

It seemed like the time of the feast would never get there.  When seven o'clock finally rolled around Angela was more than eager to leave.

"I've never seen someone this excited about Halloween!  I mean, it's just a feast!"  Ron said.  Then he thought about what he had said. "Then again, it is a feast."  

Hermione punched him in the arm.  "Don't you ever think about anything but food, Ron?"  

Ron looked down at her and ran a finger down the side of her face.  "Sometimes," he said, smiling.  He gave her a kiss and they both continued down the stairs 

Angela and Harry smiled at each other and followed them.  They were about halfway down the marble staircase leading to the entrance hall when Angela stopped.  She felt a slight tingling in her fingers and before she knew it her eyelids were closing.  

She could see a small room, somewhere in Hogwarts it looked like.  A rat crept through a crack in an open window before transforming into a grown man.  Angela saw his silver hand flashing in the moonlight and he laughed.  "Now, time to get the last Potter."  He muttered to himself, before leaving the room.  

Angela's eyes snapped open and she saw Harry there, looking at her, concerned.  She looked at him and grabbed his arm, pulling him down the stairs and into the Great Hall.  She didn't even take time to look at the magnificent decorations all around the Hall.  She looked at the staff table and saw that Dumbledore was deep in conversation with Professor McGonagall.  She began dragging Harry towards the table.  Harry looked at her, bewildered, but followed as quickly as he could, to prevent his arm from getting pulled out of socket.  

They reached the staff table and Angela interrupted the conversation between McGonagall and Dumbledore.  "Albus, I have to talk to you."  She didn't even notice that she had called him by his first name until McGonagall and Harry gasped.  She paused for a second and then decided that it was too late to correct, and looked back at Dumbledore, pleading with her eyes.  He looked at her quickly and then nodded. 

"Minerva, if you could begin the feast."  He said quickly before standing and motioning for Angela to follow.  Harry pulled his arm out of her grasp and she looked back impatiently.

"He doesn't want me to come.  You're the one he's got to talk to."

"Harry, you have to come.  Trust me, please?"

Harry sighed and looked back at Ron and Hermione who were looking concerned.  "Alright."  

They both turned and followed Dumbledore.  He led them to a small chamber off of the Great Hall and quickly locked and soundproofed the room.

"What did you see?"  He asked Angela, concern and what looked like a trace of fear etched in his face.

Angela explained her vision in the stairwell.  Dumbledore looked concerned and Harry looked downright scared.  

"Wormtail," he said, in no more than a whisper, looking wide-eyed at Angela.  

Harry had told her about Wormtail and his connection to Voldemort that summer.  She suddenly grew scared, but then rationalized with herself.  He couldn't be a better wizard than Voldemort, who Angela had twice beaten.  She quickly formed a plan and was about to ask Dumbledore if she could go when Dumbledore spoke up.

"Well, we have to find him before he finds any students.  I remember that Peter was never a very good student, but I know that he can perform Avada Kedavra."  Harry nodded at that.  "How we will find him is a different story."

Harry looked as if he had a great idea suddenly, but it quickly turned to a frown as he remembered something.  

"What was it, Harry?" Angela asked him.

"Well, I was going to say, I have the Marauder's Map, but I don't.  I let Lupin borrow it this summer, and I never got it back.  We could have found him with that."

Suddenly Angela gave a start.  "Wait!  I have a map!  I'll go get it real quick!"  She ran to the door, but stopped when she remembered that it was locked.

"We shall all go, Miss Harte.  I do not want either of you to have to deal with him on your own."  

Angela nodded and they quickly made their way out of the Great Hall.  Several students looked at them, but they were in too much of a hurry to notice.  They got up to Gryffindor Tower in record time and Angela ran up the stairs to get the envelope that contained the map.  She held it in one hand and touched it saying, "Spatior Illac," before going down the stairs.  She didn't want Dumbledore or Harry to know the secret way to read her map.  She looked at it as lines crossed each other and a complete map of Hogwart's appeared on the parchment.  She scanned it quickly to see if she could see Peter Pettigrew anywhere on it and sure enough she saw him.  She ran down the stairs and looked at Dumbledore.  

"He's almost to the Great Hall."  Dumbledore nodded and then motioned to the fireplace.  

"It'll be faster if we go this way.  He took a small bag out of his robes and threw a small bit in.  He motioned for Angela to go first and she stepped in and was suddenly spinning.  It was like traveling by Floo Powder, but much shorter.  A few seconds later she found herself landing just outside the Great Hall.  She stepped away from the fireplace studying the map, as Harry and then Dumbledore himself came through.  Angela looked towards a door on the right and tucked the map away in her robes.  She pointed her fingers at the door and said quietly, "He'll come through that door in about ten seconds."  Dumbledore pulled out his wand and stepped in front of Harry in a protective way.  

Just as Angela predicted Pettigrew stepped through the door a few seconds later.  He looked around wildly but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Dumbledore and Angela.  He looked at them, frightened but looked excited when Harry stepped around Dumbledore, his wand also drawn.  Angela saw Pettigrew's eyes light up as he saw Harry and could tell what he was thinking. She saw he was pointing his wand slightly at Harry.

"Don't even think about it," she said, walking towards him, never lowering her hand.  "_Expelliarmus!_"  Pettigrew's wand flew out of his hand and he flew back against the wall.  Angela caught the wand deftly with her other hand and tossed it back to Dumbledore.  She walked over to Pettigrew and looked down on him.  He was cringing and she could see that he was shaking with fear.  

"What do you want with Harry?" 

He looked up at her and smiled an ugly yellow smile.  "What do you think?  My master wants him.  Dead."

"Yeah, well, I know your master and I don't think he will be very happy that you have failed him yet again.  But then again, I don't think you'll be seeing your 'master' for a very long time."  With that Angela sent cords from her fingers and bound Pettigrew tightly, so he couldn't move.  She squatted and said in a quiet voice, "Don't worry, you'll see him in Hell someday."  She quickly performed a spell on the cords so that they would instantly adjust to the size of what they were containing.  Now, even if Pettigrew transformed he wouldn't be able to get away.

Dumbledore walked up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder.  She looked up into his eyes and saw the smile that wasn't on his face in them.  "I will handle this from here.  You two go and join the feast."  He turned his gaze to Pettigrew and she saw no trace of a smile anywhere on his face.

Angela nodded and was looking back at Harry to see if he was leaving.  She could see Harry looking at Peter with a loathing she had seen him never look at anyone with.  "It was you…you killed them all," he said, his voice trembling with anger.

"Harry!" Dumbledore said threateningly.  "Go to the feast.  There is no more you can do here."

Harry opened his mouth as if to say something, but he thought better of it and stalked past Angela angrily.  Angela turned to go and was almost to the door when Dumbledore spoke, "Thank you, Angela."

She smiled slightly back at him before answering, "Anytime, professor."

She walked into the Great Hall, but stopped just inside the doors.  It was amazing.  There were Jack-O-Lanterns and candles floating around the Hall, making the lighting lower than usual and slightly eerie.  Thousands of live bats fluttered around and there were orange and black streamers draped all over the room.  She recovered after a few seconds and walked over to the Gryffindor table, sitting in the seat Harry had saved for her next to him.

"It's wonderful!" she said, looking all around still.

Harry had other things on his mind.  "What is?" he asked broodingly.

Angela was confused for a second before she realized what he was upset about.  "Harry…he's no longer out there.  They caught him and he'll be punished for his crimes.  There's nothing more that you could want from this."

"How about my parents back?  Or Sirius.  Him being 'punished for his crimes' doesn't mean that the people I love will come back."

"Of course not, Harry.  But if you brood, if you dwell on it, you'll be no better than him, or Voldemort for that matter.  I love you…I don't want you to be unhappy, and I don't want you to become what I know you hate.  Please, Harry, let it go."

Harry seemed to think about this, the angry look still on his face.  A couple of times he looked as though he were going to say something, but he didn't and he eventually let out a long sigh, the look on his face softening.  "You're right, of course.  I'm sorry. Thank you, Angela."  He leaned over and gave her a long, passionate kiss.  

Angela's head was swimming when he broke it off and when she was able to string more than three words together she said, "I was just doing what I had to do.  You know."

Harry kissed her lightly again, then frowned again.  He looked at her apologetically for a second before he spoke again.  "I'm sorry I wasn't much help back there," he said, looking down.

"Are you kidding?  I would have never thought of that map if you hadn't been there.  Then where would we be?"

" I suppose.  Speaking of that map, where did you get it from?"

"It was in the package from my parents vault.  They made it while they were here and left it for me.  I forgot all about it.  I never thought that I would need to use it.  I think your father copied it…well, sort of, when he made the Marauder's Map."

At this point Ron spoke up, "Um, guys?  What in the bloody hell is going on?"

Harry looked at him and chuckled.  "We'll tell you about it all later.  Right now I'm starved."

Angela thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the feast.  The food was delicious and she ate much more than she normally did.  Dumbledore didn't return to the feast and Angela hoped that he hadn't had any problems with Pettigrew, but even that thought couldn't ruin her jovial mood.  She laughed more than she had in a while and when the feast ended she felt very satisfied.  They all trouped up the marble staircase to the common room.  Angela and Harry collapsed on a couch while people around them talked.  Hermione and Ron took the couch across from them as Angela looked around. 

"They have no idea, do they?  They think that everything's all hunky dory, don't they?" she asked Harry.

He looked at her and said, "If they knew, it would scare the shit out of them."

Angela had to laugh, but knew that he was right.  Most normal people would freak out if they had experienced half of what Angela had this year, but then Angela had never been normal.  She and Harry explained to Ron and Hermione what had happened, from the stairs to going back into the Great Hall, skirting around the details about the map and her parents.

They both nodded and they all talked about it late into the night before going to bed.  Angela had her first dreamless sleep since she had found out that she was a witch.


	14. Quidditch

Disclaimer: I can't think of anything to say, but don't sue me, because only Angela and the plot are mine. The rest of it belongs to people who make big money off of it…And that's not me.

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After Halloween time seemed to fly.  In what seemed like the blink of an eye it was the week before the Quidditch match between Slytherin and Gryffindor.  The air buzzed with a tension as the whole school prepared for what was always the best Quidditch game of the season.  Several scuffles erupted in the hallways and Harry and Malfoy came very close to cursing each other on various occasions.  

True to his word nothing had changed between she and Malfoy.  Malfoy proved this one day at lunch when he walked up behind Angela and said "So, a freak, a bum, and two Mudbloods.  What a combination."  

Ron had turned a bright shade of red and had stood, ready to fight Malfoy right there, when Angela turned and said, "Malfoy, if I had blood as shitty as yours, I'd kill myself.  Now, do us a favor and go the hell away.  That is, unless you want me to make that pretty hair of yours stand on end again."  Malfoy's nostrils had flared as he glared at her before walking away, fuming.  Harry, Ron, and Hermione had laughed until they cried and were still talking about it days later.  

Angela had gotten into the routine of homework and classes and though she didn't have to study for tests she helped the others occasionally.  

One time Hermione had looked at her in amazement after Angela had answered a particularly difficult question on a study sheet with ease.  "How do you do it?  I mean, I never see you read, you never study for tests for yourself, you do homework, but it takes you a lot less time than anyone else.  It's like you already know everything!"  Angela smiled modestly at this and averted her gaze.  She still hadn't told Ron or Hermione about her parents and she felt a bit guilty about it, considering she had told Malfoy.  She would tell them eventually, just not now.  She had to shake herself when she realized that Hermione was talking again.  "…I mean, what did you get on your O.W.L.s?  You did take the O.W.L.s, right?"

Angela felt herself turning red at this.  She had kind of hoped that it would never come up.  "Yeah, I took them at the end of the summer."

"What did you get?  It can't be that bad."

"No, it's not bad, it's just…"  Angela took a deep breath and said it, "I got fourteen "Outstanding" O.W.L.s."

Hermione looked at her for a moment, aghast.  Angela felt Harry stiffen next to her, obviously remembering the night that she had gotten the news.  

Ron was the first to speak up.  "Fourteen?  Can you do that?  I mean, I know it's out of fifteen, but I don't think anyone's ever gotten fourteen before.  Even Hermione."

Angela couldn't look at them.  "I know.  Dumbledore told me." 

Ron didn't' seem to have heard her as he just kept talking, "And Hermione's only one of two to get a thirteen!  I don't know who the other is, mind you, but…blimey!  A fourteen?"

Angela just sat there, staring at her hands.  Hermione finally spoke.  "That's great!  You shouldn't even be in Hogwarts if you can do that well!  I mean, Dumbledore was going to let me skip a year, I'm sure you could have too."

Harry got up and walked out the portrait hole without warning.  Hermione looked at Angela, confused.

"Actually, Dumbledore said I could have taken my N.E.W.T.s and left.  I…I almost did it."

Ron looked as though a light bulb had just gone off over his head.  "Is that what you two were fighting about?"

"Yeah, he was mad that I even thought about it and I was mad that he cared so much about what I thought and I said some things that I shouldn't have.  I need to go…" her voiced trailed off as she looked at the door.  Hermione and Ron nodded and Angela got up and quickly followed Harry's path.  

When she was out in the hallway she realized that she had no idea where he was.  She reached into her robes and pulled out the map that she had taken to carrying everywhere.  "Spatior Illac," she said quietly, touching the map.  Instantly she saw the map appear.  She scanned it and saw Harry walking down the third floor corridor.  She quickly headed in that direction, fully aware that it was after hours.  She didn't want to get caught, but she didn't want Harry to get caught either, and he didn't have this map.  

 When she reached the third floor corridor she found Harry crouching in the middle of the hall, his head in his hands.

"Harry?"

He looked up slowly and she could tell that he had been crying.  She knelt down by him and put her hand on his knee.  "Harry, what's wrong?"

Harry just shook his head.  "I don't know…I just…" he looked up at her with tears in his eyes, "I'm afraid of losing you Angela.  And I haven't really faced it, and it just hit me tonight when you and Hermione were talking about…and then Hermione said she could have skipped a year, and…I couldn't imagine being here without her…or you."

Angela pulled Harry into a hug, with his head resting on her shoulder.  She felt him crying on her shoulder.  "It's ok Harry.  I'm not going anywhere.  It's me that should be afraid of losing you."

Harry looked up at her, confusion in his emerald eyes.  "Losing me?  Why would you lose me?"

"Well, Voldemort seems to be more adamant about killing you.  Pettigrew would have that night if I hadn't taken his wand.  Voldemort doesn't know who I am, he doesn't know that I'm the heir of two of the founders.  He just thinks I'm a powerful witch in love with you.  Which I am, but he'll concentrate on killing you the most.  It would get you out of his way and hurt me, which I'm sure he would dearly love to do."  By the end of this she had tears streaming down her face.

Harry cupped her face in his hands, and wiped the tears from her cheeks.  She could still see tears in his eyes and raised her hand to touch the side of his face.  Angela smiled sadly and started to say something before she was cut off by Harry's lips on hers.  This kiss was different, somehow, than all the others that they had shared.  This kiss held a promise that they would protect each other, or die trying.  It said that neither would willingly live without the other.  In that one kiss they found their future.  And when it ended Angela felt as if something had been filled inside of her soul.

They sat there for several minutes, foreheads together, looking into each other's eyes before they stood.  Angela looked down at her map and saw that Filch was somewhere on the fifth floor, chasing after Peeves.  Angela had to laugh as she saw a little Filch shaking his hand at Peeves.  Harry and Angela walked back to the Gryffindor common room, arms around each other, knowing they had both found what they had been looking for.

* * *

The day of the Quidditch match Angela woke early and couldn't go back to sleep.  After lying in bed for ten minutes looking at the sky that was just beginning to lighten she got up and dressed, deciding that the common room would be a better place to wait.  She made her way down the stairs and emerged at the same time as Harry.  They looked at each other and smiled.

"I guess we both had the same idea."  Harry said, walking over to her quickly.  

Angela could see his broom in his hand and that he was obviously nervous.  She met him halfway across the room and they melted into each other as they shared their first kiss of the day.  The sat on the couch in front of the fire and Angela laid her head on Harry's shoulder, staring into the fire.  

"Are you nervous?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"Yeah.  I haven't been this nervous since…probably since I had to fight that damn dragon."

Angela couldn't help but smile.  She lifted her head and looked into his eyes.  "You're going to do fine.  And even if you don't then I will still love you."

Harry smiled.  "Then it doesn't even matter."  He kissed her again and again, deepening each one.  When he pulled back to catch his breath it was all Angela could do to get her eyes to focus on him.  She laid down on the couch and pulled him down on top of her.  Harry kissed her lips and then began trailing them down her cheeks and neck.  He reached the top of her robe and kissed slightly below it.  Angela couldn't help but gasp at the sensations that his kiss sent through her body.  She wanted him to keep going down, but he started his way back up until her reached her lips again.  He covered her lips with his once more before he leaned up. 

"We shouldn't do this here.  Or now," he glanced at the staircase and Angela knew what he meant.  He looked back down at her and said, "Later."  He kissed her one more time before sitting up and helping Angela sit up as well.  

Angela laid down, putting her head in Harry's lap instead.  He played with her hair while they watched the sunrise through the window.  

Ron came down a half hour later, dressed but looking very sleepy.  "Hey, what're you guys doin up alre-" he yawned, cutting himself off.  

Harry looked over at him, "You know I can never sleep before a Quidditch match.  And I guess Angela couldn't either."  

Angela had her eyes closed and heard him say the words and was going to nod her assent when she fell asleep.

She was flying, soaring over the Quidditch Pitch.  She could see the hoops and such below her but she must have been very high up because it all looked very small.  Suddenly, Malfoy was there, right beside her.  She was about to say something nasty to him when she felt a burning sensation race through her hands.  She looked around trying to find Voldemort when she looked at Malfoy.  His eyes were glowing bright red.  Just then she gasped as she woke up.

She sat up quickly, scaring Harry and Ron who were talking about the upcoming match. 

"Angela?  Is there something wrong?"  

Angela was rubbing her hands, trying to make the pain that she still felt go away.  She muttered a pain relief spell before looking at Harry.  "I'm fine, I just…it was my dream."

"Was it a dream dream?"  Harry asked, a concerned look on his face.

"I…I don't think so.  I was flying over the field…God, I must have been like half a mile up…and then Malfoy flew up beside me.  I was going to say something to him when my hands started to hurt.  I was looking around for Voldemort," she could see Ron flinch at the name "and then I looked at Malfoy and his eyes were glowing red.  That's when I woke up."

Harry nodded, looking more concerned.

Ron sat back in the chair that he was sitting in, a contemplative look on his face.  Just then Hermione came down the stairs to the girls dorms.  Ron looked over at her quickly, getting a look in his eyes when he saw her.  

Hermione looked at Ron with the same look and came over to where they were all sitting.  "Hey, you guys couldn't sleep either I take it?"

They all answered at the same time.

"Nah."

"Nope."

"Not a chance."

Hermione laughed and sat down right next to Ron.  Instantly, it seemed, their hands were intertwined.  Ron leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek.  "Good morning," he said softly.  

Angela and Harry looked at each other and laughed.  It seemed like it had been so long since they were plotting how to get the two together.  They all sat and talked for the next hour.  No one else came down until it was closer to breakfast time.  They all headed out the portrait hole as soon as they knew that breakfast would be ready.

They sat together silently eating.  Well, Angela and Hermione were eating.  Ron and Harry sort of pushed their food around their plates.  Angela saw Harry picking at his food and she looked at him.  He looked pale and, well, nervous.

"You need to eat!  I don't want to have to save you from falling off your broom when you pass out from hunger."  Angela said to Harry, sternly. 

Harry looked at her and said, "If I eat I puke, and if I puke, I don't play."

He closed his eyes and looked like he was going to puke anyway.  Angela reached up and brushed some hair from his forehead.  "You're going to be fine, hon. Trust me."

Across the table Ron wasn't looking much better.  Hermione was looking after him and Angela and Hermione exchanged a worried look.  They knew that the boys were going to be ok once they were in the air, but getting them to the Pitch and up in the air without them passing out would be the problem.

About eleven everyone started to head down to the Quidditch field.  Angela and Hermione left Ron and Harry just outside the locker rooms with final good luck kisses.  As the boys stepped into the locker room Hermione voiced what they were both feeling. 

"God, help them get up in the air."

Angela and Hermione headed up to the stands and sat together with some of the other sixth year Gryffindor girls.  It wasn't long before the guys walked out of the locker room into the sunlight.  Ron looked paler than ever, but Harry looked like he was feeling a bit better. 

The teams gathered around Madam Hooch.  Angela could see Harry and Malfoy, who was the Slytherin captain, shaking hands for a brief moment.  Then Madam Hooch blew her whistle and threw the Quaffle up in the air.

Harry was off the ground and high in the air in no time flat.  Ron took his place by the hoops and looked considerably calmer now that the game had begun.  

Gryffindor got possession of the Quaffle first and the chasers quickly went down the field passing it back and forth to each other.  They worked together seamlessly and even Hermione was impressed.  

"I haven't seen a team work together that well since…since the world cup!" she said in an awed voice.  

Gryffindor was soon up 50 to nothing.  Slytherin had gotten the Quaffle only twice, but each time they tried to score Ron had made spectacular saves.  Harry and Malfoy circled high above, looking for the Snitch.  Angela caught sight of it a couple times, but she could tell that Harry hadn't seen it yet.  Seamus and Dean proved to be deadly beaters, unseating Slytherin chasers on several occasions.

After another ten minutes Gryffindor had scored six more times.  Slytherin had barely gotten one by Ron, and the score was 110 to 10.  Angela watched Harry through the omnioculars he had lent her and she saw his eyes darting around, trying to find the Snitch.  A couple times he had tricked Malfoy, who was just following Harry around, knowing that he would never spot the Snitch on his own.  Suddenly Angela saw Harry's head jerk around.  He went into a dive that looked like it was straight down.  Malfoy followed him, and Angela could tell that this time Harry really had seen the Snitch.  She followed his line of sight and saw it hovering about five feet off of the ground.  

Looking back up at Harry and Malfoy she could now see that they were neck and neck.  Malfoy had a faster, more recent broom, an Argentum 200, the newest broom on the market.  Harry had a Firebolt, which was still a very good broom, but he was a better flier.  Harry never took his eyes off of the Snitch as he zoomed towards the ground.  The rest of the game had stopped and it seemed like the entire stadium was holding their breath watching the Seekers dive.  They reached out their arms and Harry knocked Malfoys out of the way before grabbing the snitch and pulling out of the dive.  The stadium erupted into cheers as Harry pulled out.  But Angela was watching Malfoy.  He didn't seem to be able to pull out of his dive.  Angela saw that he was going to hit the ground going about eighty miles an hour, which she knew would kill him.  Right before Malfoy hit the ground her arm shot out and she shouted "_Retardo!_"  Instantly he slowed and hit the ground only doing about twenty. 

The entire team flew over to Harry and were hugging him.  They all landed together and all but the Slytherin section of the stadium were going wild.  Madam Pomphrey was looking after Malfoy, and Angela could see that he was alive.  "_As long as he's not dead_," she thought to herself.  She and Hermione rushed down to the field, and were there to congratulate their respective boyfriends as they reached them.  

Angela and Harry hugged and Angela gave Harry a big kiss.  "Good job, Harry.  I told you it would be fine, didn't I?"  

Harry smiled down on her and said, "Yeah, I guess you did," before kissing her again.

They all went back to Gryffindor tower where a party started almost immediately.  They celebrated for a couple hours before Angela and Harry slipped out to go get some food from the kitchens.  When they returned half an hour later they were welcomed noisily back.

"You'd think that we never beat Slytherin!"  Angela commented to Harry.  

Harry just grinned and said, "That's how a rivalry is."

Angela remembered some of the football rivalries back home and nodded, seeing his point.

Hermione and Ron disappeared not long after Angela and Harry returned with the food.  Angela had seen them slip out the portrait hole and smiled to herself, thinking that Ron was going to like his congratulations present.


	15. Soul Switch

Disclaimer: I must give J.K Rowling credit for everything here except for Angela and the plot.  Those are mine.  And if you wanted to give me money for them I wouldn't say no.

A/N—OK, I'm sorry for any confusion about the pairings.  It's Harry/Angela, Draco/Ginny will come in much later…in like…10, 15 chapters.  I know it seems like I'm leaning toward an Angela/Draco story, and I was toying with the idea for a bit, but I decided that it's just better that they are good friends.  So…yeah.  Hope that clears everything up.

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The celebration went on into the night until Professor McGonagall came and told them to go to bed.  Angela and Harry decided to wait in the common room for Hermione and Ron to come back, but when they fell asleep in each other's arms an hour later on the couch they still had not come back.

Angela was in a room.  It wasn't Hogwarts; it was in a house somewhere.  She could see windows that were boarded up and across the room she saw a table with someone on it.  The person looked familiar and as she looked closer she could see it was Draco Malfoy, and he was chained to the table.  He was unconscious and unstirring.  The thought raced through Angela's mind that he might be dead, but then she thought that he would not be chained to the table if he were dead.  The thought comforted her somehow.   

It was a dream like only a few she had had in the past.  She could tell that she was not a participant in the dream, but an observer.  She watched as the door across the room opened and Voldemort walked through, closely followed by a man that could only be Draco Malfoy's father.  They both walked over to the table.  Lucius Malfoy looked down at his son with an expression that resembled disgust.  Angela's dislike of the man deepened as she watched him look at his son.  "_How can someone not love his own child_?" she thought, still watching.  Voldemort began to speak.

"Now that Wormtail has been taken I'm going to turn to you Lucius to be my closest assistant.  Your son will help us, whether he is willing or not."  With that he took out a wand, obviously new, and said "_Ennervate!_"  

Draco Malfoy began to stir on the table.  It took him only a few seconds to realize that he was chained to it and he began fighting the restraints.  Voldemort let out a high, cruel laugh, as did the elder Malfoy.  Angela wanted nothing more than to punch Lucius Malfoy at that moment.  Draco looked up at his father with hatred pouring out of his eyes.  Angela could tell that he loathed his father, and who could blame him?

Voldemort looked down at Draco and spoke to him as if he were another of his sniveling followers.  "Draco…don't fight them.  They won't break.  Now, you are going to help us."

"I will never help you."  Draco spat in Voldemort's eye.  Angela smiled, and then watched Voldemort for his response.  He instantly became very angry an pointed his wand at Draco and said "_Crucio!_"  Angela watched in horror as Draco screamed and twitched, pulling on the chains harder than ever.  Lucius Malfoy seemed to enjoy watching his son writhe in pain, smiling slightly at the sight.  After about a minute Voldemort decided that he had had enough and said "_Finite Incantatem!_"  Draco stopped screaming and lay there breathing heavily, still occasionally giving an involuntary twitch.

"That will teach you to disrespect me, boy."  Angela could hear the bitterness in Voldemort's voice.  "Now, you will help us, whether you like it or not.  Unfortunately I have lost my wand," he paused as his face gave an angry twitch, "and I cannot perform the necessary spell.  However, your father has graciously volunteered to perform the spell for me.  Lucius, if you will."

Lucius Malfoy began speaking very quickly in Latin.  "_Animus domini, penetro corpus famuli_."  He had his wand pointed directly at Draco and as soon as he finished speaking Angela saw a black form leave Voldemort and go into Draco.  

Angela quickly tried to figure out what the Latin had meant.  As far as she could think it meant "soul of the master, penetrate the body of the servant."  "_Holy shit_," she thought to herself, "_he's got Voldemort's soul_!"  

Draco's eyes closed and when they opened again she saw them glow red.  Lucius Malfoy smiled and said "A success, master."  Angela looked at Voldemort, wanting to see his reaction.  Voldemort just stood there, staring ahead unseeing, his eyes a dull crimson.  She was surprised to hear Draco respond, "Excellent.  Unchain me."

Lucius waved his wand and the chains disappeared. Draco sat up and said,  "Lets see Potter and Harte get past this," before laughing Voldemort's high cruel laugh.

Angela woke with a start.  "Draco!" she said breathlessly.  Harry was already awake and had been watching her sleep.  

He looked at her, very confused.  "Angela?"

"Draco's in trouble!" she started to get up.  

Harry grabbed her arm.  "Since when is he 'Draco'?" 

Angela could sense the anger in his voice.  "Harry, I love you, but Malfoy's in trouble.  I have to go see the headmaster."

"Since when do you care if Malfoy's in trouble?  Let him take care of himself.  And besides, it's three in the morning.  Dumbledore's asleep."

Angela pulled her arm out of Harry's grasp.  "Harry, get jealous later.  Or don't come with me.  Either way, I have to go see the headmaster, now."

She headed towards the portrait hole and was almost there when it hit her what time Harry had said it was.  She thought for a second and then raised her hand.  "_Accio Invisibility Cloak!_"  Seconds later she had her invisibility cloak in her hand and wrapped around herself.

"Wait!  I'm coming with you!"  Harry ran over to where she was.  She quickly draped the cloak over him and they went out the portrait hole together.  Angela took out her map and said in a low voice so Harry couldn't hear, "Spatior Illac."  The familiar lines of the map traced themselves over the parchment and Angela muttered "_Lumos!_" so that they could read the map.  A quick scan showed no movement between there and the door of the Headmaster's office.  Angela muttered "_Nox!_" and they quickly headed towards the second floor.  They got there quickly and said "Hershey Kiss" quietly at the same time.  The statue jumped aside and Angela and Harry stepped onto the top step.  Angela itched to get there faster than they were going, but she knew they couldn't.  They finally reached the top and threw off the cloak.  

Angela knocked on the door loudly.  "Professor Dumbledore!  I have to talk to you!  Professor Dumbledore!"  Angela began pounding her fist on the door and after a moment it opened.  

She quickly went into the office.  Dumbledore came out of his quarters a few moments later and looked at Angela, great concern showing in his eyes.

Angela quickly told Dumbledore about the dream that she had had and about the one that she had that morning.  Dumbledore nodded and stood saying "Mr. Malfoy is in the hospital wing for tonight.  I believe we should go and make sure that he's still there."

Angela nodded and Dumbledore turned to his fireplace.  They were in the hospital wing moments later.  Angela could see that Malfoy was in a bed in the far corner.  She breathed a sigh of relief.  The next moment she heard Harry gasp.  She turned quickly and saw him grasping his scar.  She felt the burning sensation in her hands that meant that Voldemort was near.  She quickly muttered a pain relief spell before walking over to Harry.  She pried his hand off of his forehead and touched his scar, saying the same pain relief spell.  She could tell that it worked as Harry relaxed and said "Thanks!" a bit breathlessly.

Dumbledore pulled his wand out, knowing what it meant when Harry's scar hurt.  Angela looked around quickly, scanning the room for signs of Voldemort.  Then a thought occurred to her.  She walked towards the bed that Malfoy was in and saw that he was awake.  But it wasn't Draco Malfoy's silver gray eyes looking at Angela as she crossed the room.  It was Voldemort's glowing red ones.

'Malfoy' sat up in bed quickly as he saw Angela walking towards him.  He had a smirk on his face and he started to speak when Angela cut him off.  "You just don't learn, do you Tom?"

Malfoy's smirk turned into a look of surprise.  "You would never know," Angela continued, "that you were one of the best students that ever attended Hogwart's.  All them brains and no common sense.  _Animus domini, egredior corpus famuli!_"  Angela watched as the black form she had seen enter Draco in her dream now left him and flew out the window.  Draco's body collapsed on the floor as it left his body.  Angela rushed over and knelt next to him.  Dumbledore and Harry walked over to see if he was all right.  Dumbledore waved his wand and Draco's unconscious form floated back onto the bed just as Madam Pomphrey rushed in, in her nightshirt.  

"What's going on?  Albus?" she looked questioningly at Dumbledore as she rushed over to Malfoy.

"Just an incident with young Mister Malfoy and Voldemort.  I believe it is over…for now.  However, I believe it would be safer to leave someone here to watch him while he is here."

Angela looked at Dumbledore and said, "I'll stay."

Harry made a sound of protest as Angela looked at Dumbledore.  "Very well.  I believe Harry would like to stay also.  I need to go send a few owls.  Poppy, is this alright?"

She still looked slightly confused and unsure of what was going on, but she nodded her head. 

Angela and Harry sat down in chairs near Malfoy's bed.  Harry looked angry and wouldn't look at Angela.  Madam Pomphrey left after checking to make sure Malfoy's vitals were all normal and warning Harry and Angela to be quiet, as "Mr. Malfoy needs his rest."

Angela looked at Harry and asked the first thing that came to mind.  "What are you thinking?"

Harry looked at her, the anger blazing in his deep green eyes.  "I'm thinking that you and Malfoy are…" He couldn't even finish the sentence.

Angela reached over and put her hand on Harry's arm.  "I assure you that Malfoy and I are doing nothing of the sort."

"You called him Draco!" he hissed at her.

"Yeah, I know.  That's who he was in the dream.  I mean, there were two Malfoys, Draco and Lucius.  Draco is human and though he's an asshole most of the time he is on our side, as little as you want to believe it.  But he and I are not, and never have been, doing anything.  I promise."

"Why did you volunteer to stay?"

"Who else was going to?  Besides, if Voldemort tries to come back tonight no one else around here would be able to stop him, except for you or Dumbledore.  Dumbledore had to go and you weren't going to volunteer."

Harry thought about this for a second before nodding.  "How do you know he's on our side?"

Angela sighed and told Harry about her and Malfoy's conversation the night of her second meeting with Voldemort.  Harry looked at her with narrow eyes.  "Why didn't you tell me this that night?"

"Because I knew this was how you would react and it wasn't important to the story really.  I didn't see any reason to get you upset about nothing.  We weren't friends, we just…I don't know…talked."

"You did more than that.  You saved each other's lives, Angela."

"Well, I guess.  But that's a good thing.  I mean, he saved mine, I couldn't very well let him die."

"That's twice you've saved his neck."

Angela bit her lip before saying, "Three times," in a quiet voice.

Harry looked at her, confused. "Three?  When else did you save Malfoy?"

"Today, well, technically yesterday, at the match.  He couldn't pull out of the dive.  He would have hit the ground and surely died.  I…slowed him up a bit."

Harry swore under his breath and ran a hand through his hair.  "Angela, do you know what it means to save another wizard's life?"

"It means you saved their life.  So?  What's the big deal about that?"

"It means more than that.  When you save another wizard's life you owe that person a Wizard's Debt.  A bond is formed between you and the person whose life you saved.  I have one with Peter Pettigrew…you have a bond with Malfoy.  But since you've saved his life three times…I don't know if the bond grows with that, or what…"

Angela looked at Malfoy.  "_That explains a lot_," she thought to herself.  She thought about when she was flying and she could feel Malfoy watching her.  It also explained why he had dominated her dreams so often lately.  She looked back at Harry, who had his head in his hands.  "Harry, are you still angry?"

He looked up and she could see love in his eyes.  "No, I'm not angry.  I'm sorry I suspected that you and Malfoy were…you know."

"Yeah.  It's all right.  I'm sure I would think the same thing if you woke up and said some other girl's name."  She smiled at him.  

He put a hand on the side of her face and pulled her into a kiss.  "You know," he said when he broke the kiss, "we're going to have to stay up all night if we're going to watch over Malfoy."  A mischievous grin played across his face.  

Angela grinned back and quickly did a charm on the both of them that would keep them awake.  Harry pulled her back into the kiss, holding both sides of her head.  Angela heard herself moan with the pleasure that he was bringing to her body.  She broke the kiss and stood.  She walked over to a bed across from Malfoy's.  Harry followed her and put his hands on her waist.  She leaned in and kissed him again and Harry's arms wrapped around her.  Her hands went to his neck and played through his hair.  Angela reached around to his front and began to undo the clasps on his robes.  Harry's hands quickly followed suit, swiftly undoing the front of her robes.  Angela pushed Harry's off of his shoulders and shrugged her own off.  

Harry leaned into the kiss, pushing Angela back onto the bed.  Angela put her arms around Harry's neck, keeping him there.  He broke the kiss to catch his breath and lifted her the rest of the way onto the bed.  Angela looked into his eyes and saw love and desire mingling in them.  She pulled him down on top of her and kissed him again.  He began to trail the kisses again, as he had done that morning.  Angela gasped as he reached her neckline, praying that he would keep going.  She felt his hands reach the bottom of her T-shirt and begin pulling it up.  She lifted herself slightly off the bed and allowed Harry to take her shirt off, which he threw to the floor on top of their robes.  He resumed his kisses where he had left off.  Angela gasped and moaned as he kissed her heaving chest.  He slowly kissed his way back up and their lips met once again.  She reached down and lifted his shirt over his head.  As she ran her hands over his bare chest she couldn't believe what she was doing.  It felt so right, but she knew that if she didn't set the boundaries they would go all the way, which she knew she didn't want.  

She broke the kiss and pushed slightly on Harry's chest.  "Harry," she panted, "I can't…I won't go all the way."  She looked straight into his beautiful green eyes as he looked at her.  She could tell that he was slightly disappointed.  "But, there are things, many things, that we can do with out having sex."  She grinned at him.  He grinned back and kissed her again.  They spent the night exploring each other and what could be done in bed without having sex.


	16. Drastic Measures

Disclaimer:  I spend my free time using someone else's characters to make stories.  Call me sad, say I need a life, do whatever you like, just don't sue me.

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Malfoy had no recollection of the previous nights events when he woke the next morning.  Angela was watching him alone when he came to.  Harry had decided that Malfoy probably wouldn't want to see him there when he woke up.  Harry and Angela had shared a long kiss goodbye and Angela was thinking about the previous night with a smile on her face when Malfoy finally stirred.

He blinked several times before looking at Angela.  She was happy to see that his eyes had returned to their original color.  

Malfoy looked confused to see her there.  "What,-" he began hoarsely, "are you doing here?"  He looked around to see if there was anyone else and when he saw that there weren't his eyes returned to Angela.

Angela explained all that had happened the night before.  Malfoy's eyes got wide and Angela could see the fear in them.

"My…father?" he croaked.

Angela could only nod.  She knew that he had a deep-rooted dislike for his father, but had never expected him to do anything like this.

Malfoy closed his eyes and took deep breaths.  Angela watched his fists clench and his jaw tighten.  It was a few minutes before he relaxed and opened his eyes again.  He stared at the ceiling for a long moment before saying "Well, I guess that explains why I feel like I've been beaten all over."

Angela thought for a moment.  "Well, that could also be your fall from yesterday."

Malfoy grimaced, apparently thinking about his failed dive.  "Nah…I feel worse now than I did when I hit the ground."  He turned his head and looked at Angela again.  "But that's three times now that you've saved my arse."

Angela nodded before realizing what he had said.  "What?  How did you know about the game yesterday?"

Malfoy rolled his eyes as if it were the dumbest question he had ever heard.  "I don't know anyone else who would have done it.  Besides, I could…tell.  As soon as I slowed down, I knew that it was you."

"I know what you mean."  So he could feel the bond too.  Just then Madam Pomphrey walked in.  Angela stood and said, "I need to go get some breakfast."  She turned to Madam Pomphrey and said "If you need me to watch him later, just let me know."

Madam Pomphrey patted her hand and nodded, saying, "You go sleep, dear."

Angela looked back over at Malfoy and saw he had his smirk firmly in place.  He let out an indignant snort and said, "I can take care of myself, thanks."

"Not when you're unconscious," Angela sniped back.  She turned and walked out the door, not waiting for Malfoy's retort.

She walked to Dumbledore's office first, retrieving her invisibility cloak that had been left behind in all of the excitement the night before.  She then headed to Gryffindor Tower.

The first thing she saw when she entered the common room was Harry, fast asleep on a long couch.  She smiled as she tucked a throw around him.  She also noticed that the room was almost empty before she glanced at the clock.  It was only 8:30 in the morning.  Angela knew that most people didn't wake until ten or so on Sundays, and everyone had been up later than normal last night.  Angela suddenly felt exhausted and decided to get a bit of sleep.  She budged Harry over and lay next to him on the couch, wrapping her arms around him.  She kissed his forehead and quickly fell asleep.

She was awakened a short while later by Harry.  He was twisting and turning, covered in sweat and he was clutching his scar.  Angela could tell he was having a dream and she didn't want to wake him up.  She lay there for a moment before deciding to do a quick pain relief spell on his scar.  He kept his hand to it, though not pressed as hard and the grimace left his face.  She watched him for a few more minutes before he awoke suddenly, gasping.

"Harry?  What is it?"

He looked at her, fear and protectiveness in his eyes.  "He knows.  He knows who you are."

Angela felt the blood drain out of her face.  "How?" she managed to get out, barely more than a whisper.

"He saw it…in Malfoy's mind.  He…" Harry couldn't continue.

"We should…I…we…" for once Angela couldn't think of a plan.  She knew they should tell Professor Dumbledore, but didn't want to wake him up again.  "What's Voldemort going to do?" she asked Harry.

"He's…he said that…it was more important to…to get you.  He said that he could wait to kill me, but…he had to get you.  He said that once he got…got rid of you…it would be easy."  Angela could tell that it had been hard for Harry to tell her this.  

"Well," Angela began resolutely, "he's tried to kill me before.  It's never worked."

"Yeah, but…I mean, they took Malfoy in his sleep.  There's nothing stopping them from doing the same to you."

Angela hadn't thought about that.  She knew that she had to do something, but she didn't know what.  Then it hit her.  "Harry…what if…what if we do the Fidelius Charm?"

Harry looked at her with a thoughtful look in his eyes.  "But, you'd have to go away.  You'd have to hide."

"Why can't I hide at Hogwart's?  I mean, the way the charm works is that no one but the secret keeper can see the person being hidden, right?  So, even if I were at Hogwarts no one would be able to tell that I was here."

Harry looked at her, obviously contemplating what she had said.  After a few moments he said, "We need to talk to Dumbledore about this.  Come on."  

They got up and went quickly out of the portrait hole.  The familiar path to Dumbledore's office seemed to take no time at all and before they knew it they were standing in front of his office door.  They looked at each other before knocking.

The door opened and Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, looking at them expectantly.  "Yes?"

Harry launched into his dream, telling Dumbledore everything that Voldemort and Lucius Malfoy had said.  Dumbledore's look became one of grave concern.  He nodded and then looked at Angela.  "Angela, we must protect you."

Angela nodded and told him about their plan.  Dumbledore seemed uncertain at first.  "You will still be in grave danger, Angela.  The Fidelius Charm is easily gotten through, if the secret keeper is weak."

Angela knew that he was talking about Harry's parents and Peter Pettigrew.  "Well, sir, I was thinking that either you or Harry could be my secret keeper."

Dumbledore thought about that.  He sat for a few minutes, contemplating all the possibilities when his face brightened.  "I believe I have the solution!  It is possible to put the secret into more than one person…up to five actually.  It is a variation on the Fidelius Charm, commonly referred to as the Five-Point Fidelius Charm.  All five secret keepers must tell where the person in question is for the searcher to be able to see this person.  And even if another incident such as last nights occurs, the secret is stored in the person's soul, so Voldemort wouldn't be able to get to you."

Angela thought about it for a moment, looking at Harry and then turned to Dumbledore and said, "Lets do it."

Dumbledore nodded then asked "Now the only issue is who will the five be."

Angela quickly thought about it.  "You, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and," she looked up at Harry before she said it, "Malfoy."

"Malfoy!?"  Harry asked, unbelievingly.

"Malfoy.  He's been watching out for me the whole year and he saved my life once already.  I trust him, Harry.  And I'm the one who needs to trust him, not you."

Harry opened and closed his mouth, obviously at a loss for words.  Angela turned back to Dumbledore who nodded, showing his approval at her selections.  "We'll have to inform these students.  Please gather them and report back to my office at five o'clock this afternoon.  We will have to set up bedchambers for you away from the others, so that they won't suspect anything.  I will handle those arrangements."  There was a finality in his tone when he said that, and Angela and Harry turned and left. 

Angela's thoughts raced on how she would tell Hermione and Ron, and especially Draco.  She knew she would have to tell Draco alone, but she would rather do it that way.  He was human when they were alone.  Hermione and Ron could be told with Harry.

Angela and Harry walked to Gryffindor Tower in silence.  Angela knew that he was mad about her choosing Malfoy as a Secret Keeper, but she also knew that he didn't understand the feeling of safety that she felt when Malfoy watched her walk around the lake.

Hermione and Ron were sitting on a couch with each other when they entered the common room.  Their smiles turned quickly to looks of concern when they saw the looks on Angela and Harry's faces.

"Hey guys.  What's going on?  Is everything alright?"  Ron looked worriedly at Hermione when they shook their heads.

"We need to talk guys."  Angela looked around the crowded common room.  "Somewhere…quieter."

Hermione and Ron nodded and they all went to a back corner of the common room.

"First things first, you need to know who I am," Angela began.  She told them about her soul parents, being the heir of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, all of her powers, and how she was needed to defeat Voldemort, along with Harry.  They looked amazed and merely nodded when she finished.  Then Harry told them what had happened the night before with Malfoy and Voldemort before telling them about the dream he had had that morning.

"What are you going to do?"  Hermione looked at Angela with fear in her eyes.  Angela could tell that Hermione was afraid for her safety and it made her feel better to know that Hermione cared.

Angela looked at Harry before telling them about the plan that they and Dumbledore had come up with.

"You want us to be your secret keepers?"  Ron looked doubtfully at Hermione.  

"Well, it's not just you…it's you two, Harry…Dumbledore…"  she trailed off hoping they wouldn't catch that she had only said four names.  

"That's only four," Hermione said quickly, "Who's the fifth?"

Angela couldn't look at them when she said it, knowing that their reactions, or at least Ron's reaction, would be more severe than Harry's had been.  "Malfoy."

"WHAT?!?"  Ron roared.  The common room grew quiet and Hermione elbowed him in the ribs.  Ron looked around and then back at Angela.  "With Malfoy as a secret keeper you'll be dead in a week!" he said in a fervent whisper.  He looked at Harry and said, "How can you let her have Malfoy as a secret keeper?"

Harry just shook his head.  "It's not his choice," Angela began angrily, "and besides, all five have to tell.  I trust Malfoy.  Why is neither here nor there right now, but I do."

Ron couldn't seem to find words.  Angela looked at him and Hermione and said "We have to be in Dumbledore's office at five.  I need to go talk to Malfoy."

Hermione nodded and stood with Angela, giving her a hug.  "What are we going to tell everyone else?"

Angela hadn't really thought of that, but she said, "Just tell them that my grandmother is dying and I had to go home."

Hermione nodded again and Angela turned and left the common room.

She had no idea what she would say to Draco as she walked to the Hospital Wing.  She hoped that the words would come to her when she got there, but as she reached the doors she had a feeling that they wouldn't.  She stepped into the wing and saw Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson around Malfoy's bed.  Pansy was fussing over him and it looked like he was trying to get her to stop.  Crabbe and Goyle just stood there dumbly, which wasn't anything different for them.  None of them noticed Angela and she snuck into Madam Pomphrey's office quietly.

"Can I help you Miss Harte?"  Madam Pomphrey said in a quiet voice.

"Um, yeah.  I need to talk to Draco…alone.  It's an emergency and if you ask the headmaster he would confirm this.  But I can't tell Draco's 'friends' to leave, so…could you?"

Madam Pomphrey looked at Angela harshly for a moment before softening her gaze.  "The headmaster told me you would be coming.  I will tell his friends that he needs rest.  You stay in here until I come back."

Angela nodded and watched Madam Pomphrey leaving.  She could hear her fussing voice telling the Slytherins to leave, that "Mr. Malfoy needs his rest."  She stepped back into the office a few moments later and nodded at Angela.  Angela thanked her quickly and then stepped out of the office.  

Malfoy looked up at her as she crossed the room.  "Madam Pomphrey will be in here to tell you to leave in a second."

"No she won't.  I'm the one that got her to make the others leave."

She saw appreciation flash across Malfoy's face for an instant before turning to anger.  "Why?  So you can come and taunt me?"

"Malfoy, I don't have time for this.  And I know you aren't really angry.  I need to talk to you, and I needed it to be just you and me."

Malfoy gave her a calculating look, as if trying to see if she was being genuine.  He nodded curtly, telling her to continue.

Angela took a deep breath and let it out noisily.  "Look, I don't really have the right words to say this, so I'm just going to say it."  She explained about Harry's dream and the plan they had devised before concluding, "I need you to be one of my secret keepers."

Malfoy's calculating look quickly turned to one of surprise.  "Me?  But you have Potter, and the rest of them…"

"Well, it's the Five-Point Fidelius Charm.  You'd be one of five…."  She told him who the other secret keepers were and that she would be hiding at Hogwarts.  "I trust you Malfoy.  And you owe me.  Wizard's debt.  I saved your life."

Malfoy nodded, looking at her intently.  "What do I need to do?" 

"We have to be in Dumbledore's office in about an hour.  Thank you, Draco."

Malfoy looked at her and smirked.  "Draco?  Since when did you call me by my first name?"

"Since it's easier to say…since I saw you…in my dream…with the Cruciatus curse on you…  It made you more…human.  I'm not saying that the curse is a good thing, I just…I don't see the point in calling you Malfoy anymore to your face.  Besides, Malfoy is kind of ugly and takes a lot of effort to say compared to just…Draco.  And if you don't lose that smirk right now I'm going to have to wipe it off…and you don't want me to do that."

Malfoy changed his smirk to a smile.  Angela couldn't help but smile back.  "You should smile more often.  I'll go ask Madam Pomphrey if it will be alright for you to leave then."

Madam Pomphrey came out and did one last check over, pronouncing Draco well enough to leave.  

As they stepped out of the Hospital Wing Pansy Parkinson ran up to them.  "Draco, oh, I'm so glad that you're all right!"  She saw Angela and stopped.  Her eyes narrowed dangerously and she looked as if she would have loved to kill Angela.  "What are you doing here, Harte?" she practically spit the name.  

Angela looked at her for a second, thinking about what she was about to have to do.  She didn't know if she would be able to perform magic while under the Fidelius Charm and decided that this could very well be her only chance to get back at Pansy for some of the things that she had said over the year.  She waved her hand at Pansy, as if impatiently telling her to go away.  

Pansy opened her mouth and began to speak, but no sound came from her lips.  She realized it about halfway through her sentence and looked scared and confused.  Angela began walking away laughing.  She could tell Malfoy was having a hard time containing his laughter as well as he tugged her sleeve.  "You can't just leave her like this."  He had a smile in his eyes that he knew he couldn't allow to reach his lips.  Angela sighed.  "I suppose not."  She waved her hand at Pansy again and immediately a stream of cuss words came from Pansy's mouth.

"Pansy, if you know what's good for you, you'd shut up," Draco said, giving Pansy a dirty look.  Angela looked at Malfoy, surprised.  Pansy looked like she'd been slapped.  Angela and Draco turned and walked in the direction of Dumbledore's office, leaving Pansy standing in the hallway.

As soon as they were sure that she couldn't hear them they laughed loudly.  Draco soon had tears rolling down his face from laughter.  "I would pay to see that again.  Did you see the look on her face when I told her to shut up?"  They were still laughing when they reached the gargoyle.  

Draco straightened and looked at Angela, still laughing.  "I think that you're a good influence on me, Harte."  

Angela smiled and said, "I wouldn't bet on it.  Come on."


	17. Safety Net

Disclaimer:  I have stolen…no…not stolen…commandeered the majority of the characters in this story.  Angela and the plot are mine, but don't sue me for the rest.  Please?

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Harry, Ron, and Hermione were already in Dumbledore's office when Angela and Draco walked in, smiling.  Angela saw them all give Draco nasty looks and Draco's smile turned quickly to a scowl.  Angela sighed and thought to herself, "_Well, I can't expect them to get along I guess_."

They all sat across from Dumbledore, Angela sitting between Harry and Draco, with Ron and Hermione on Harry's other side.

"As you all know, you are here to help your fellow student, Angela.  You will all be participating in a Five-Point Fidelius Charm.  We will go to the bedchambers that have been prepared for Angela and the spell will be performed there.  Afterwards I will perform a memory charm on each of you so that you will not know who the other Secret Keepers are.  That way, if one of you is captured you will be less likely to reveal the whereabouts of the other four secret keepers.  Let us go." 

They all nodded and followed Dumbledore out the door of his office.  Angela felt Harry reach for her hand and give it a squeeze as they went down the stairs.  She smiled up at him and he looked down at her with a serious look in his face.  She could tell that he was worried about her and she wanted to reassure him that she would be all right.  "_Maybe later_," she thought to herself.

They took a confusing set of corridors that seemed to lead deep into the castle.  Angela had never been here before, and she had a deep suspicion that her parents hadn't either.  Nothing looked familiar as she studied the walls.  Suddenly they came upon a door in the wall that had a five-point star etched into it.  

Angela was about to ask what it meant when Dumbledore explained, "The star represents each secret keeper in the charm.  After the charm is done I will put a spell on the door to make it invisible to all but you four, Angela, and myself."  With that he opened the door.

Angela gasped.  It was magnificent.  She stepped into a living room area.  There were comfortable looking chairs and a long sofa in front of a roaring fire.  Everything was draped in Gryffindor colors, dark reds and brilliant golds.  The far wall was made entirely of glass and had a magnificent view to the mountains in the distance.  There were doors that went off either side of the room and Angela went into the one on her left first.  

It opened to an enormous bedroom, with a Queen sized four-poster bed, much like the one in her dorm, but larger.   The furniture was all a beautiful mahogany and she saw a door open to a large bathroom.  On the other side of the room was a closed door that she surmised to be the closet.  She walked out of the bedroom and looked at her fellow classmates who were looking around in awe as well.  She wanted to go see what was behind the other door but she knew she would have time to do that later.

Dumbledore looked at her meaningfully.  "You know that your movements in the castle will be restricted.  The spell will be performed for the entire grounds to be your hiding place, but the other students will not be able to see you either.  It would much be like wondering around the school in your invisibility cloak.  Your secret keepers will come and visit you on designated days and you will be allowed to walk about at night.  You will have the choice of preparing your own food, or having food brought to you and your school work will all be done here."

Angela looked around the magnificent room again with the thought that this would be her 'house' until Voldemort gave up on her and it seemed to shrink slightly.  The thought of Voldemort brought something else to her mind.  "Professor, I have a few questions.  Will I be able to perform magic while under the spell?"

"Yes, you will be able to perform magic.  You should be careful about who you practice it on though."

Angela nodded.  "Also, before you…we do this I want you to promise me that you will tell me if…my…" Angela searched for the right word, "services are needed.  Right now I'm the only one that can block Avada Kedavra and if…any of these people die because of me or because I wasn't there…I…I don't know what I'd do."

It was Dumbledore's turn to nod, a knowing twinkle in his eye.  "It is usually you that tells me that people are in trouble.  If you ever need to get to my office, use the fireplace.  I believe you know how."  Angela nodded, looking down and beginning to get nervous.  "Now, I believe we need to do this."

He pointed his wand at Angela, and she could see that he didn't really want to have to do this.  She smiled up at him and said, "I'm ready."  She closed her eyes and took a steadying breath.

"_Utroque quintus fidelius!_" 

Angela felt herself be surrounded by a brilliant white light that she could see through her closed eyes.  She felt warm and secure in the light, like it was a hug from a loving grandfather.  She opened her eyes a bit and saw five pieces of the light break off and hover over all of their heads before "entering" each of the secret keepers.  The light around her faded slowly and when it had gone completely she opened her eyes fully.

It was done.  Somehow Angela felt the need to hug someone and cry on his or her shoulders for a long time.  She looked over at Harry and he walked over to her and pulled her into a hug.  "It's all going to be fine," she heard him whisper into her ear.  She nodded into the crook of his neck.  When they pulled out of the hug Dumbledore looked down on her, a smile in his eyes and on his face.

"Now what?" she said, feeling a bit braver.

"Well…I think you should think about who you want to visit on which day first."

"Oh.  I have to assign them days?"  She looked around at her friends and felt that she could do with seeing them every day, but she knew that that wasn't possible.  She sighed heavily and decided to leave it up to them.  "Well, I guess each of you should pick a day.  That would be the easiest way to do it."

Ron, Hermione, and Harry shared looks.  Draco starred past her to the wall behind her.  Dumbledore looked at her with a kindness in his eyes, as if he knew how hard it was on her.  

Ron spoke up first.  "I'll take Thursday."  

Angela had to laugh at the randomness of it.  "OK, Thursday is Ron's."

Hermione looked up and said in a quiet voice, "I'd like Monday please."

"Alright."

Dumbledore looked thoughtful for a moment and said "Wednesday would be ideal for me."

"So, that leaves Draco."  Harry looked at her wildly and Draco looked surprised.  "Don't worry Harry, I haven't forgotten about you," she reassured the sputtering boy at her side.  She was watching Draco to see what his reaction would be.

He looked at her and said, "Well, I didn't think that you would want to see me."

"Don't be silly, Draco.  What day would you like?"

He gulped and thought for a second.  "I guess…Tuesday."

"Tuesday it is."  With this she turned to Harry.  "Looks like you've got the weekends, Bucko."

He smiled at her.  It looked like a normal smile but Angela knew the meaning behind it and smiled back.

Angela looked back at the others and took a deep breath.  "Thank you all, so much.  I really, really, really appreciate this."  With that she walked over and gave Hermione a hug, followed by a friendly hug from Ron.  

She walked over and stood in front of Draco, looking in his eyes.  "Thank you Draco, this means a lot to me."  

He smirked and said, "Yeah, well, I still owe you one," while extending his hand.

"Yeah, ya do," she said, grinning, as she shook his hand.

She walked over to Professor Dumbledore and surprised everyone by drawing him into a hug.  "Thanks for everything, Albus," she said quietly.  She pulled away from him and added, "And remember, I'm the first person you call."  She gave him a stern look that made him laugh.

"I suppose we should leave you to get settled.  You will find your things in your bedroom already."  Angela nodded.  "I will take each of the secret keepers outside and perform the memory charm on them, and lastly I will ask you to perform it on me.  Mr. Malfoy will be first."

He walked towards the door and Draco, after giving Angela a small wave that got him a dirty look from Ron, followed.

Ron sat on the couch and said, "I still can't believe that you trust that dirty git."

"Yeah, well, it's too late now.  Besides, he really is nice when he's not around…well, anyone else."

Ron gave a disbelieving snort.  They sat there in silence for a minute before Dumbledore leaned his head in the door.  "Mr. Weasley, please."

Angela and Ron shared another friendly hug.  "I'll see ya on Thursday."

Hermione was next, leaving Harry and Angela alone for a few minutes.

"Harry…I don't know what to say."  She looked into his eyes and was surprised to see tears in them.

He smiled at her and kissed her on her forehead.  "I don't know what I'd do without you, Angela."

Angela could see his lips coming toward hers and closed her eyes in anticipation.  A few moments later she felt the familiar tingle as their lips met.  She ran her hands through his hair and he pulled her closer to him.  The world disappeared as he ran his hands up and down her back.  She wrapped her arms around his neck and drew herself even closer to him.  Just then a loud noise broke through their kiss.  Angela opened her eyes and glanced over, seeing Dumbledore standing in the doorway.  She broke the kiss reluctantly and gave Harry a hug before she got an idea.  "Professor, it's Sunday.  Could Harry stay for a bit?  He could help me unpack and get settled, you know."

"I certainly do know.  I see no problem with it.  However, a Memory Charm must be performed.  Perhaps Harry could return in half an hour."

"Of course, professor."  She turned back to Harry and gave him one last kiss.  He walked towards the door, looking back at her twice on his way.  She smiled at this, and sighed as the door closed.  

She was alone now.  She turned and walked toward the window.  She really did have a magnificent view and she knew that she must be quite high up.  She could see the lake and the Quidditch Pitch and it made her happy to think that she would be able to watch matches and practices still.  She gave a sigh as she thought about how much her life had changed in less than a year.  

Just then there was a knock and she knew she had to go do a Memory Charm on Dumbledore.

"Come!"

She turned from the window and faced him.  He looked tired and old.  "How long are you going to do this to yourself Albus?"

He smiled at her familiarity again.  "Until I don't have to anymore."

Angela laughed and lifted her hand.  She thought carefully about what she wanted him to forget before saying "_Obliviate!_"  A small light came from the tip of her fingers and hit the headmaster softly.  She sighed and said, "I guess that's it."

Dumbledore rubbed his head softly, looking dazed for a moment.  "I suppose it is."  They shared another hug and for a moment Angela was reminded of her grandfather.  

"Thanks.  I guess I'll see you on Wednesday."

With that Dumbledore turned and walked out the door.

The silence that followed seemed to close around Angela quickly.  She hadn't been anywhere that quiet in a long time and it was slightly disconcerting.  However, she knew what to do when she needed noise in her mind and began singing _American Pie_, the longest song she could think of at the moment. 

She strode over to the door that she hadn't explored behind yet.  She opened it and saw a kitchen and dining area.  The kitchen equipment seemed to all be electric, which comforted Angela slightly, making her feel more at home. She walked over to the refrigerator and found it brimming with all of her favorite foods.  She grabbed the milk, quickly found the glasses and poured herself a cup.  She noticed that there was a small balcony out of a set of sliding glass doors on the outside wall.  She walked over and slid the door open, stepping out into the cool November air.  

She was just standing there, sipping her milk and taking in the view for what seemed to her to only be a few minutes, but must have been much longer.  She felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around her middle and looked down.  She recognized them as Harry's and leaned back into him, gasping as he kissed the back of her neck.

"Hey, beautiful," he whispered in her ear before giving it a nip.

Angela smiled.  "Hey yourself."  She turned around, and faced him, wrapping her arms around his neck.  She let go of the glass and quickly levitated it so it wouldn't break before pulling herself into a kiss.  He kissed back passionately and they were soon beginning to undress each other on the balcony.

"Wait," Angela said breathlessly, "the bedroom."  Harry nodded and before Angela could do anything he lifted her off of her feet almost effortlessly.  She squealed but kept her arms around his neck to help support herself and as they stepped inside he kissed her again. 

Angela vaguely heard the glass shatter as Harry carried her to the bedroom.


	18. A Light at the End of the Tunnel

The next few weeks were some of the dullest in her life, excluding the weekends.  She had little to do everyday and quickly went through every song that she knew.  She begged Dumbledore to let her get a music maker of some sort and he finally consented.  Angela magicked up CDs with various mixes of songs on them.  She played them almost constantly to relieve herself of the silence. 

She occupied herself during the day by redecorating the rooms in her "house".  She quickly tired of the crimson and gold and experimented with different colors.  One day it would be decorated in bright yellows and blues, the next in soft lavenders, and the next in bright oranges and reds.  She would often make the furniture blue and white, or blue and silver, as this reminded her of the high school that she had left behind.  She also tried to match colors to the personality of the friend that would be visiting that day.  She often made it silver and green on Tuesdays when Draco would come and visit, or softer colors on Monday's when Hermione would come.  Her wildest decoration days were when Dumbledore or Ron were coming.

Her friends visited on their designated days and Angela quickly learned how to prepare for each visit.  Mondays Hermione came.  She and Hermione would have deep, involved intellectual conversations, so Angela was always sure to read and do her schoolwork before Hermione came, so they would have something to talk about.

Tuesdays would bring Draco, with him she could always be herself.  She never knew what kind of mood Draco would be in when he came, and this was often one of the least predictable days.  She would often listen to him as he got a week's worth of frustration off his chest, and then he in turn would listen to her.  She found she could tell him anything easily and he often told her the same.  Angela thought that maybe it was because they had the bond, but more often she thought that it was because they were so alike.  Neither had had very satisfactory childhoods, fathers who didn't particularly care for them like they should, mothers who cared about nothing but themselves.  Soon Draco knew almost all of her secrets and she knew that she could trust him with them, just as he knew he could trust her with all the secrets that he told her.

Wednesdays would bring Albus Dumbledore.  They would often sit and "reminisce" about the days when her parents were at Hogwarts.  Angela enjoyed these, as they allowed her to dig deeper into her memory and she would often recall tidbits that let her know more about her parents.  She always gave Dumbledore a hug before he left, and she now called him Albus all the time.  She felt as if she had discovered a best friend from long ago when she talked to him.

Thursdays she could always count on having fun.  Ron would always cheer her up, no matter what mood she was in.  She often had Melissa send Muggle board games or other things and Angela and Ron would play for hours, laughing until they cried.  So far, Scrabble was the only game she could beat him at regularly, as it was more a game of intellect AND skill than just skill.  Ron's years of chess playing had made him a better player at games where more skill was required. 

The weekends with Harry were what Angela looked forward to the most.  It was often as if they were always together, instead of only three days a week.  They talked and laughed as if they had all the time in the world during the day, and would spend their nights in each other's arms.  Harry would often spend the entire weekend with Angela, never leaving the small "apartment" that she had.

One day, Angela's curiosity over came her prudence and she asked the question that had been nagging at the back of her mind for some time.  "What do you tell the guys you are doing, to be gone the large part of three days?" 

Harry had shrugged nonchalantly and said, "I just tell them that I'm training for Voldemort.  Which is sort of true, since we'll have to do it together."

It was true that they had spoken of how they would defeat Voldemort.  Harry had dreams about Voldemort currently and told Angela he was very frustrated at the fact that she had just disappeared.  Angela saw Voldemort in the future, though not far, sometimes only days or even hours.  She often heard Voldemort and Lucius Malfoy discussing whom the secret keeper would be and she had to laugh at the fact that his own son was betraying him.  She also laughed at the fact that they were looking for only one person. 

They also frequently discussed what spells could be used to kill him.  They figured that a simple Avada Kedavra would not kill him, just as it hadn't fifteen years prior, though Harry had argued the point well.

"He has my blood in him, so he's mortal.  And more human than he was back then."

"Yes, well, he's had a year and a half to try to make himself immortal again.  And since he knows how, it wouldn't take him as long as it did before.  I'm sure Tom Riddle was perfectly human at one point, so it's not somewhere that he's never been before."  Angela had pointed out.

Harry had snorted at the idea that Tom Riddle was human, but he had to admit that she had a point with the fact that Voldemort had had plenty of time to become immortal again.  Angela spent some days going through every spell that she knew, listing them all so that she and Harry could look over them together.  So far they hadn't come up with anything more promising than Avada Kedavra, which would merely kill his body, which he could get back again, as he had already proved once.

The weeks passed slowly, but as they did the holidays approached.  As bad as life had been in America she had always been with her family at Christmas.  She had a hard time explaining to her grandmother in a letter why she wouldn't be able to come home for Christmas and had an even harder time explaining it to her mother, who was right there in London.  Angela would have rather stayed at Hogwart's anyway, as the friends she had there were more her family than any of her real family, but she knew that she would not be able to spend the holidays with her friends.  

She considered asking Dumbledore once, but she knew that the answer would be "No." and that she would feel dumb for having asked.  She had resigned herself to a lonely holiday when Dumbledore brought the subject the Wednesday before school was to let out for the holiday. 

"I was thinking, that you shouldn't have to spend Christmas alone.  However, it would be dangerous for you to simply go out and see all of your friends.  I was thinking, however, that the four student secret keepers could spend the holidays here with you.  Extra bedrooms could be arranged and I would join the reverie on Christmas, perhaps along with Remus."

Angela was stunned.  "You…you really mean that?  I mean, that they could all stay here?  What about the memory charm?"

"Another could always be performed easily.  I know that it is difficult for you to be here alone most of the time, and it would be a pity for you to be alone during the holidays."

Angela had jumped up and given Dumbledore a hug at that.  "Thank you, Albus!  This means so much!"

He had chuckled and said, "I'm sure you can handle informing the other students, as I don't know who they are?"

Angela grinned up at him.  "Yeah, I can do that.  Thank you again."

He smiled at her kindly.  "Anything for you, Angela."  With that he had left her alone to think about how to tell the others. 

After thinking for a while Angela figured that the best way would be to send them all notes by owl the next morning.  Ron would be coming the next day, but she didn't want any one of them to find out before the others.  She was sitting in the kitchen that night, wondering where she would get the owl, when Hedwig, Pigwidgeon, a school owl and Falco, Draco's eagle owl, flew in through her window.

"You guys really are good, you know that?" she said to the owls, which patiently (well, for the most part…Pigwidgeon was zooming around the kitchen, occasionally hitting the wall) waited while Angela quickly wrote notes to all of her secret keepers.  They all said the same thing, except for the names on them.

_Hey!  Good news!  Dumbledore is letting all of the secret keepers stay here for the winter holidays.  I'm setting up extra bedrooms, and each will have their own.  Please come on Saturday around noon.  I will have lunch ready when you get here._

She had added a P.S. to Harry's telling him to come on Friday as normal before sending the owls off with the letters.  She couldn't help smiling as she ate her dinner, thinking about the time that they would all have.

She spent the day Thursday putting up a Christmas tree and decorating it carefully.  She had to use her wand to put decorations on the high branches, but when she stepped back to admire her handiwork she had to admit that it was lovely.  She had used reds and greens and silvers and golds, which were all thankfully Christmas colors.  She hoped that all of her friends would feel at home, though she had a feeling there would be another "Malfoy's a secret keeper?" incident on Saturday. 

Ron came that afternoon and they visited for a while.  Angela noticed that he had a worried look on his face and that he also avoided the subject of staying over the holidays. 

Angela got tired of it after a while and just blurted out, "Alright, why don't you want to stay?"

Ron looked down, avoiding her eyes as he answered.  "Well, it's just that…I really wanted to spend Christmas with Harry and Hermione.  I…I don't know."

Angela smacked herself in the head just then, making Ron look up at her quickly, with a concerned look on his face.  "Of course!  How could I be so stupid?  Damn!"

"Um, Angela?  Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, just debating with myself.  Give me a minute."

If she told him that Harry and Hermione were secret keepers now, she risked exposure if Voldemort got to them before Saturday.  Of course, Saturday was only a day away.  She finally concluded that they would be safe until Saturday, and that she would see Voldemort before he could get to them.

"Well, I guess," she began, "since Saturday's only a day away it wouldn't hurt to tell you who the other secret keepers are."

Ron looked worried again.  "I don't think that we should though.  I mean…I really don't think that it will change my mind.  Unless…" his eyes suddenly got wide, "Harry and Hermione are secret keepers."  He finished in almost a whisper.

Angela smiled at him before speaking.  "I'm surprised it took you that long.  Who else would it be?"

Ron just shook his head, still looking shocked.  "Well, there's someone else…two someone's actually."  He raised his eyebrow a bit and smiling, trying to hint that he wanted to know who the others were.

Angela laughed while she thought to herself.  "_It might actually be easier to deal with his reaction to Draco now.  I mean, I can tell Harry tomorrow, and Hermione will understand._"

"Well, I guess it won't hurt to tell you one other.  The other you will simply have to wait until Christmas to find out."

"Alright, deal."

"Alright.  I'm only telling you this because I think it would be better for you to get mad now, instead of on Saturday."

Ron got a suspicious look at that, but continued to listen.

"Well…" Angela paused, looking at Ron for a minute, "It's Malfoy."

Ron reacted just as he had when she had first told him.  "MALFOY?!?!?!  How could you let Malfoy be your secret keeper?  He finds out who we are and he'll go running straight to his Daddy!"

"No, he won't Ron."  Angela stood and looked Ron in the eye.  "He's nice and I want you to be nice to him while you two are here.  Please?"

Ron was furious and beginning to turn a dark shade of red.  "Angela, what were you thinking?  Why do you trust him?  After all the things he's said about you?  And not to mention how he's tortured Harry, Hermione, and myself the past six years!"

"I don't know, Ron!  I don't know why I trust him, but I do.  He saved my life, and I don't think, no, I know that he wouldn't hand it to Voldemort, or his father!" Angela yelled at Ron. 

Ron looked surprised for a minute.  "He- he saved your life?"

"Yes," Angela said, "That night in October when I was out late and Voldemort was there, he was the one that woke me up.  He was willing to die to save me.  The least I can give him is my friendship."

Ron was speechless.  He kept opening and closing his mouth and finally gave up and shook his head.  "I had…no idea.  I didn't know he cared about anyone but…well, himself."

"Yeah, well, it's not something he's made a habit of…"

"You can say that again."  Ron still looked shocked and had sat, or more collapsed, into a chair behind him.  "Why is he still a bastard to us?"

"Well, he does have an image to keep up.  He can't have everyone thinking that he's gone soft.  And if you tell anyone but Harry and Hermione what I just told you, I will hex you into next week."

Ron looked at her, a wry smile on his face.  "Don't worry.  Your secret is safe with me."  Angela smiled back.  "But," he continued, "that doesn't mean that I'm going to be nice to him.  I'll tolerate, but there's only so far I will go.  Even for you."

Angela nodded.  "That's fine, as long as you two don't fight."

"I can't promise anything for Harry though."

"Don't worry.  I'll talk to Harry about it tomorrow."  Now it was Angela's turn for the wry smile.  Ron grinned at her, knowing just what she was talking about.  Angela was fairly sure that Ron and Hermione had gone "all the way" already.  She and Harry hadn't, but she didn't feel as if she were missing out on too much.  She told Harry early on in their relationship that she didn't want to have sex until she was married and, as hard as it was some nights, she had stuck by her promise to herself.

"So, what game do you have for me to beat you at today?"  Ron's question brought her out of her thoughts of Harry and back to reality.

"Oh, um…I think Mel sent me Clue.  Yeah!  I love this game."

They set the game up and Angela explained the rules.  It took a few games but Ron finally beat her, though she could see that this was one that she would have a chance at.  They were soon laughing quite loudly and played until around ten, when Ron decided he should go back and start his schoolwork.

"I'll see you on Saturday, Ron."

He smiled and said, "Yeah.  Oh, and nice tree by the way," before walking out the door.


	19. A Roomful of Friends

Angela was pacing around the living room the next day, quickly flicking her hand and changing the color scheme as she tried to do something that she knew Harry would like.  She was nervous about how he would react to Draco being one of her secret keepers, but she was fairly certain that it wouldn't be good.  On the other hand, he did know about the night that Draco had saved her life, so perhaps he wouldn't be as mad as Ron.  Then again…her thoughts were interrupted as she flicked her hand and the room turned to shades of blue.  It was breathtaking, with just a hint of silver here and there. 

"_Who cares if he likes it?  This is perfect!_" she thought to herself.  Just then a knock came at the door.  "Come!"

Harry stepped through the door, laughing.  He stopped when he saw the room, looking around, wide-eyed.

"I'm sorry if you don't like it.  I was going through, trying to find something you would like and this just popped up, and it was just so lovely that I decided to leave it.  But if you want me to I can cha-" Angela was cut off by Harry's lips on her own.

"It's perfect," he said in a low voice after they broke the kiss, standing with their foreheads together.  Angela couldn't help but smile.  Then she remembered what she was worried about and took a step back.

"Aren't you angry?"

"Angry? Why would I be angry?"  Harry looked at her, genuinely confused.

"Oh…I guess Ron didn't tell you then."

"Tell me what?"

"_Well, shit.  The git could have at least told Hermione and Harry._" She thought to herself. "Well, about who the other secret keepers are."

"If you're talking about Malfoy being your secret keeper, I'm not angry.  Why should I be?"

"Well, because you hate him, for one.  Ron was livid yesterday."

"Yeah, well, Ron's got a temper on him that even I'm afraid to cross.  And besides, I don't hate Malfoy.  He saved your life.  You wouldn't even be here if it weren't for him, and for that I am forever in his debt."

Now it was Angela's turn to be surprised.  "I'm proud of you.  I'm glad you were able to overcome your silly grudge with him.  I guess the holidays won't be so bad after all."

"I didn't say that I liked Malfoy, just that I don't hate him.  We'll see about the holidays later.  Right now, I just want to think about you."

He took her into his arms again, kissing her slowly but deeply.  "I love you," he murmured in between kisses.

"I love you, too."

He swept her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom.

Angela woke the next morning to the smell of a cooking breakfast wafting through the open door.  She smiled to herself as she stretched, thinking about the night before.  Harry seemed to learn new things that he was only too happy to share each time he visited.  She rolled over onto the pillow he had slept on the night before and deeply breathed in the smell of him.  Still smiling she got out of bed and wrapped her robe around her before padding her way to the kitchen.

When she got there she almost laughed at what she saw.  Harry was cooking bacon and eggs and pancakes, trying to do them all at the same time and not being very successful.  Angela quickly walked to the stove and took over the pancakes, surprising Harry.

"Hey!  I didn't know you were up!  I was going to bring you breakfast in bed."  He sounded a bit disappointed, but Angela just laughed.

"The smell of your cooking woke me up.  Besides, I'd like to eat on the balcony."

Harry gave a choked laugh.

"What's so funny about that?"  Angela looked at him, getting angry quickly.

"Don't get mad.  Look out the window!"

Angela turned and gasped at what she saw.  The pancakes were momentarily forgotten. 

"Snow!"

The balcony was covered, as well as the scenery beyond.  It had been unseasonably warm that year and she had often heard fears that it wouldn't snow for Christmas.  Angela was only slightly upset that it might not snow, being used to no snow where she was from.  But she had never seen anything as magnificent as the scene before her. 

Suddenly a sharp smell brought her back to the pancakes and she turned back to it, quickly getting it off the skillet, but not before it turned a dark shade of brown. 

"Sorry bout that.  I'll take that one."  She was slightly embarrassed and felt the pink creeping into her cheeks.

"Don't worry about it.  Maybe we can go out on the balcony later and look at the snow."  Harry bent and gave her a kiss on her cheek.  Angela smiled at him, loving him more for his kindness.

They finished fixing breakfast and sat at the table, Angela facing the window to eat.  She ate a little bit of eggs so that Harry wouldn't get upset, but that plan didn't work.

"Is there something wrong with them?" he asked, looking worried.

"No!  I'm sure they're perfectly good!  I just…don't like eggs.  Period.  They make me nauseous."

Harry laughed at that, obviously seeing the look she was giving her eggs. 

"The bacon's really good though.  I haven't had bacon this good since…well, since my grandfather made it."  She finished quietly, trying to hide the tears she felt in her throat.  She generally tried not to think of her family but occasionally she did, and it was often the little things that did it.  She couldn't count the Saturdays that she had been awoken by the smell of bacon, eggs, and grits cooking for breakfast.  The thought of grits just made her wistful for home even more and before she knew it a tear was sliding down her cheek.

Harry put his fork down and came around the table.  He wrapped her in a huge hug, and she cried on his shoulder for a few minutes.

She leaned up, wiping her eyes and nose with her napkin.  "I'm sorry about that, it's just that this is my first Christmas away from them, and…I miss them so much."

"I know you do.  I know.  And they miss you too, I'm sure.  And I'm sorry that you have to be here now."

Angela gave him a watery smile.  "I'm not sorry I'm here, and I don't really want to be there, I just…miss them."

Harry smiled back and pulled a chair close to hers, sliding his food across the table.  They finished eating in silence, though a massive footsy game was going on under the table.  Angela looked out at the snow again, admiring its beauty.  It would have been fun to romp across the snow-laden grounds, but Angela knew that wouldn't be happening, not this year at least.  Suddenly she was filled with an anger that seemed to come from deep inside her. 

"I'm sick of this!" she shouted, slamming a fist on the table.

Harry looked at her, surprised.  "What?  What did I do?"

"No, not you…you didn't do anything…well, nothing that I'm sick of.  No, it's Goddamn Voldemort.  He's holding me hostage without actually being anywhere near me.  I haven't seen fucking snow in ages and even then it was nothing like this, and I can't even go out and build a damn snowman!"

Harry looked at her like she'd gone mad for a moment before softening his gaze.  "Don't worry, there's enough room off the balcony in the bedroom to build a snowman.  Or to have a snowball fight for that matter."  He leaned over and gave her a kiss, which she returned. 

She stole a glance at the clock out of the corner of her eye and saw that it was just now barely nine o'clock.  When the kiss broke she gave him a mischievous grin.  "I can think of a few other things I'd like to do with my time.  Snowmen can wait."  Harry laughed, but didn't object when she set the dishes to washing themselves and grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the bedroom.

They lay in bed a couple hours later, lingering in each other's arms.  Angela knew she should get up soon as the others would be arriving in an hour and she still had to make lunch, but she just couldn't bring herself to remove herself from Harry's arms.  He didn't seem in any particular hurry to get up either, kissing her hand and forearm that she had been rubbing his chest with. 

Angela realized that if she didn't get up now they would spend another two hours in bed, and she simply couldn't do that, so she leaned up, kissed Harry firmly and got out of the bed, much to Harry's dismay.  She heard him groan as she stepped into the bathroom to take a shower.

She was dressed and making lunch before Harry even got out of bed.  He had, of course, watched her dress before taking his own shower, so he had taken a bit more time than she had.  She was making some soul food for lunch, stuff she hadn't had in months and was craving.  She hoped that the others would like them, but she could always have food sent from the kitchens if they didn't. 

Harry walked up behind her while she was stirring the okra and tomatoes, wrapping his arms around her waist and hugging her to him tightly.  "What smells so good?"

"Well, it's lunch.  Here, taste this, tell me if you like it."  She held a spoonful of the okra and tomatoes up for him to try, blowing on it to cool it.  He took the spoon into his mouth, looking at Angela.  She pulled it out and watched as his face went from confused to thoughtful to pleased.

"Damn, that's good stuff.  I might have to marry you just for your cooking.  What else is there?"

"Well, ham, cornbread, green beans, and, uh…I couldn't resist…I made some turnip greens.  I had to have some.  It's been so long."

"Turnip greens?"  Harry looked disgustedly at the pot, obviously thinking that he didn't want anything that had the word turnip in the name.

"Yeah.  Try them.  They're REALLY good…please?"  Harry looked back and forth between her and the pot.  "Please?  For me?"  She kissed him softly on the spot that always made him gasp, just below his ear.

"Damn, alright.  I'll try them."  She beamed up at him and turned to get a spoonful of the greens.  He grabbed her around the middle again and began to nibble on the back of her neck before pulling away.  "Why didn't you dry your hair?"

"Oh, I didn't have time."  She put her hand upside her head and muttered "_Excaresco!_".  Her hair instantly dried and she ran her fingers through it.  She turned and handed Harry the spoon just as someone knocked.  She looked at the clock and saw it was five till.  "Shit.  I'll be right back.  Try that.  Wait, here."  She shoved the spoon into Harry's mouth and left him behind, his choking sounds following her.

She got to the door and opened it and Draco Malfoy stood there, looking around nervously.  "Hey, Draco, come on in.  I'll show you your room."

Behind her came a voice.  "Hey, Angela, this stuff is good!  I'm gonna get some more!" 

Angela laughed and shouted back, "Don't you dare, Harry Potter!  That's for lunch."

Angela felt Draco stiffen at the mention of Harry's name and she quickly remembered that he had no idea who the other secret keepers were.  She looked back at him, and Harry just kept talking.

"Aw, come one!  Who was at the door?"  He poked his head around the corner playfully.  He saw it was Draco and the smile disappeared from his face.

Angela looked back and forth between the two of them, scared of what they would do.  Suddenly, Harry came out into the living room and walked right up to Draco.  Angela wasn't sure about what he would do, and prepared herself to have to get them apart if they began fighting, when Harry stuck his hand out.

"We're in this together.  I'll put aside my differences with you for Angela if you're willing to do the same."

Draco showed true surprise at Harry's gesture, but he shook his hand.  "Alright then."

And with that there was an agreement between the two men to be tolerant for Angela's sake.  She sighed with relief before smiling at both of them.  "Thank you," she said, giving Harry a kiss.  He smiled at her and shook his head before going back to the kitchen.

"Your room's over here.  I don't know if you'll like the food I made for lunch, but I really wanted to make some of it, and so I made some, but if you don't like it-"

"I'm sure it's delicious, Angela.  It sure smells delicious."  Draco had that note of honesty that she knew he only used when talking to her.  She couldn't help but smile at him.

"Alright, but I'm warning you, it's American Muggle food…Southern American Muggle food at that, so you may not find it delicious.  A lot of people don't."

The got to his bedroom, which she had decorated in greens and silvers.  "If you want different colors, just let me know.  I just figured, you know, you're a Slytherin and all…"

"Actually, could you do the blue and silver like what's in the living room?"

"Sure!"  She waved her hand almost impatiently and the room was suddenly transformed.

"Thanks.  I get tired of all the same colors all the time."  Draco truly looked grateful.

Angela laughed before saying, "Yeah, I know what you mean.  Don't tell me you didn't notice the living room was different every time you came?"

Draco had just laughed and set his trunk down near the bed. 

"Well, I'll let you get settled.  I think the others should be here soon."

"I think I'll come with you."  Draco followed her quickly out of the room, too quickly in fact.

"Are you alright, Draco?"

He blushed, well as much as Draco Malfoy could blush.  A pale pink tinted his porcelain cheeks.  "I…I'm kind of…well…let's just say that I don't want to give Voldemort any more chances to get me."

Angela couldn't believe what she was hearing.  "_Draco Malfoy, afraid?_" but she only nodded as Draco followed her out of the hallway that led to his bedroom.

As they stepped out of the hallway and into the living room she saw Ron and Hermione on the sofa wrapped up in a fairly heavy make-out session.  She heard Draco behind her mutter, "It's fucking snogfest."  Angela had a hard time containing her laughter, but instead she cleared her throat rather loudly.  Ron and Hermione both looked up and blushed shades of pink, Ron much darker than Hermione.

"Sorry about that, Angela." Hermione said, getting up from the couch.  "I hope you don't mind that we let ourselves in."

"Nope, not at all."  Hermione gave Angela a hug, followed by one from Ron, who was eyeing Malfoy with something akin to disgust in his eyes.

"_Please just get along!_" she thought to herself, looking back and forth between the two.  She knew that Draco had the infernal Malfoy pride to protect, so he wouldn't make the first move, and Ron had the maddening Weasley pride to keep up, so he wouldn't do it either.  "_Maybe Hermione._"  But even that didn't seem very likely after all that Malfoy had called her and done to her.  What happened next surprised them all.

Draco took a step forward and put his hand out.  "I'm sorry," he said in a quiet voice, looking right at Ron.  Angela could see the sincerity in his eyes and she was sure that Ron could too.  Ron had a wide-eyed look of surprise as he looked from Draco's face to his hand and back before taking the hand.

"Alright then."  The two shook as if meeting for the first time.  Hermione looked slightly happier, but Angela knew what she was thinking and thought it unlikely that Draco apologize twice in one day, but once again she was wrong.

He turned to Hermione and repeated his apology, looking sincerely apologetic for all that he had done.  She nodded and took his hand, a shocked expression on her face.

Angela again breathed a sigh of relief for the second time that day and for the first time thought that this might not all blow up in her face.  She looked at all of them and realized she had to show Ron and Hermione their rooms.

"Draco, could you help Harry in the kitchen?  Make sure he doesn't burn anything.  Oh, and taste the stuff, see if you like it.  That way we can get something from the kitchens if you don't like it."

He nodded and headed in the direction of the kitchen.  Angela turned back to Ron and Hermione who were watching him leave, still looking surprised.

"All right, why don't you bring your stuff to your rooms."

"Rooms?" Ron asked, looking at Hermione. 

Angela laughed at his obvious implication.  "Don't worry.  They're connected…there's a door in between."

"Right.  Is Harry's room down here?" Ron asked, looking down the hall they were walking down. 

Angela laughed again.  "No, he's sleeping in my room, Ron."

"Sleeping, right…" she heard Ron mutter behind her.  Angela opened the second door in the hallway, which led to Ron's room.  The room was decorated in Gryffindor colors and Angela again offered to change it if he wanted.  Ron, unlike Draco, apparently never got tired of the same colors all the time and declined her offer.  He walked over to the double glass doors leading to the balcony outside.  "This place is huge!"

"Yeah, I know.  Sometimes it gets too big.  Here, Hermione, your room's through here."

She opened a door that led to another bedroom, just as large and well decorated, though Hermione leaned over and quietly asked her if she could change the colors.

"Sure, what would you like?"

"Well, I really liked that yellow and blue pattern you had last Monday."

Angela nodded and waved her hand, causing the colors to change around them.  The room brightened considerably with the change in colors and Hermione smiled at the change.

"When you two get settled, or in about ten minutes, come to the kitchen.  Lunch should be ready by then."  They both nodded and Angela left the room smiling, knowing full well what they would do with their ten minutes, and it wouldn't be unpacking.

She reached the living room and heard laughter coming from the kitchen.  She walked quickly towards it, thinking that either Draco or Harry had hexed the other and was now laughing at him when she heard a second voice laughing.  "_They're laughing together?_"  She slowed her pace and peeked in the door to the kitchen.  She saw Harry and Draco laughing as they threw small pieces of food at each other.  Angela couldn't help but smile at their games before she realized that it was lunch that they were throwing around.  She stepped in to tell them to stop and was hit by a piece of turnips on her left eye.

"Oh!  Shit.  Angela, I didn't see you there."  Draco ran over and tried to wipe the turnips off.  Angela ducked away from him, wiping it from her own eyes.  She turned back to them and they both had worried looks on their faces.

"I hope you don't think you'll get away with flinging lunch around my kitchen?"

They glanced at each other, both looking like schoolboys who knew they were in trouble.  They shook their heads, looking down, again looking guiltily at each other, before grinning.  Angela couldn't help but grin at them.

"Damn you two.  All right.  Clean this up.  And be glad I'm letting you off.  I was going to do Rictusempra on you," she added, seeing the looks on their faces.  She walked over to the stove and saw that there was still plenty of food left. 

"Did you taste it Draco?"

"Yes, ma'am.  And it was delicious, just like I said it would be."

 She turned and saw them waving their wands at the green spots that covered the walls and ceiling and cabinet.  Angela spotted one on the side of the fridge and cleaned it herself asking, "How the hell did you guys get it there?"

At that they started laughing again and were still laughing when Ron and Hermione came in.  Angela gave them a tired look and said, "Don't ask, please.  Come over here and taste this stuff…"  Ron shook his head looking at the other two boys while heading towards the stove.

All in all lunch was fairly uneventful, if you didn't count the food fight Draco and Harry started up again in the middle of it.  This time they all got into it and by the time they were done all of the food was either on them or the walls.  They had all liked the food, however and were upset that they had thrown it all away.  "Don't worry, there's more in the pots.  I always make too much anyway," Angela said, picking some tomato out of her hair.

Ron jumped up and grabbed some more turnips, about to throw it at Draco when Hermione yelled, "Stop!"  All of the guys stared at her, Ron's arm in mid-swing and dripping greens.  Angela just laughed.

"Thanks Hermione.  If you three don't mind cleaning the kitchen, I think I'm going to go take a shower."  Hermione nodded and they walked out of the kitchen, followed by the stares of the guys.  Angela laughed again, joined now by Hermione. 

"I haven't had this much fun since…well…fun like this…since Fred and George were here."  Hermione got out, still laughing fairly hard.

"Well, it's been longer for me.  I really am going to shower though.  There's a bathroom in your room."

Angela headed to her own bedroom, thinking, "_This is going to be fun!_"

That night they all sat around the fire playing board games until the wee hours of the morning.  Draco was getting along superbly with all of them, and Angela was glad for it.  She also knew that there was a silent understanding that when the holidays were over nothing would be different outside of this room.

Angela and Hermione beat the guys soundly at Scrabble a few times before they decided that they wanted to play something different. 

Angela looked at the clock and saw that it was one in the morning.  "Well, maybe we should sleep.  You know, that whole unconsciousness thing you're supposed to do when the sun isn't in the sky?"

"Aw, hell, Angela who needs sleep."  Ron looked peeved at having just lost again to his girlfriend.

"I do, for one, and Harry's about to fall asleep over here too."  Harry sat up at that, wiping the drool from the side of his mouth.

"I'm not falling asleep."  He rubbed his eyes a few times, yawning.

"Sure you aren't.  Go to bed Harry.  I'm just going to clean up…I'll be there in a minute."

"Ok, Mum," Harry said, getting up and trudging off to their bedroom.  Angela shook her head and waved her hand, cleaning the mess up.  The others got up too and Angela said goodnight to them all before heading to her own bedroom.

When she got there she found Harry lying on top of the bed, comforters and all, fully dressed and fast asleep.  She woke him and helped him get undressed before putting him in bed.  As she climbed into bed next to him she had to smile at her luck for having such wonderful friends.


	20. Hogsmeade at Last

The next week went quickly by, as the guys and Hermione never seemed at a loss for ideas of what to do.  Their second day there they had magically enlargened all of the balconies and connected them, so that it was larger than the size of a normal lawn.  They built a snowman and had a huge snowball fight.  Angela didn't do very well at first, not knowing how to properly make snowballs or how to throw them.  Harry tried to show her, only to get showered with snowballs when he wasn't paying attention.  Angela had given up doing it by hand and began making them by magic.  Soon she was winning, though not for long.  Harry tackled her to make her stop, landing on top of her, his face only inches from hers.  She laughed and looked at him.  He laughed back and kissed her hard before helping her up.

They had spent the afternoon inside playing games and telling stories.  Even Draco had a few funny stories to tell, much to everyone's surprise.

"I didn't think you could really laugh, Malfoy."  Ron had a look of true surprise as he made this comment.

Malfoy smiled a real smile before saying, "Yeah, neither did I, until I met Angela."

Angela blushed a deep shade of red.  "Yeah, well…"

They had all laughed at that.

Another day they had all convinced Dumbledore to let them go to Hogsmeade to shop.  Angela had never gotten to Hogsmeade, as the first weekend was not long after she had gone into hiding and Dumbledore agreed that if all five students watched out for each other and if Lupin went with them they could go.   Angela would have to stay covered up at all times in case Voldemort had a spy who saw her there with them, and she also did an disguise charm before they left.

Angela was happy about being able to go, as she hadn't had a chance to get Harry anything for Christmas.  When they got to Hogsmeade the first place they went was Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.  Angela recognized many of the things in the shop from samples that Ron had often brought on Thursdays, but there were other things that she had never seen and she walked around inspecting them.  Fred came out of the back and saw Ron, Hermione, Sirius, and Harry and said a cheerful hello.  He also saw Draco and gave him a dirty look before turning a confused one to Angela.  Ron gave him a 'Don't ask' look and said "We'll explain it to you later."

Angela left with a pocketful of things that would help keep her occupied after the holidays and had warmly thanked Fred and George.  They didn't recognize her of course, but they gave her a weird look, as if there were something familiar about her that they couldn't place.  Next they went to Honeyduke's, which was a trip that Ron was looking forward to more than anyone. 

"That boy eats more than anyone I've ever met," Angela commented to Hermione as they watched Ron scoop sweets into a bag.  Draco and Harry were also getting some sweets, but not nearly as much as the tall redhead.  Angela looked around and finally found something that she thought would come in handy, buying a bag full of white chocolate chunks.  This had always been a favorite of hers and she hadn't had it in a while.  She was also thinking about melting the chocolate, and…well, lets just say it involved Harry and a bed.

Next the guys took them to Gladrags Wizard Wear.  Harry bought Angela a few robes that she liked a lot and Ron did the same for Hermione.  Angela watched Draco try some things on and put them back and she purchased one of the sets of robes that she had thought looked particularly good on him.  She felt a little bad because she knew he must feel left out, having no one to buy anything for except himself, and Angela also knew that he hated to spend money on himself. 

She and Hermione stopped in Dervish and Banges to pick up a few things while the guys ran off to the Quidditch store.  Lupin stayed with the girls, though he knew that if trouble came, Angela would get them out of it, and he told her so.

"Thanks, Remus!"  Angela beamed at him, happy at the compliment.  They looked around the store for a bit before Angela asked Lupin what he thought she should get Harry for Christmas.

"I don't think they sell that here."  Lupin looked at her seriously.

"What?  At the Quidditch place?"  Angela was confused and looked over at Hermione who was looking at quills, blushing like crazy.

Lupin shook his head.  "No.  I was thinking…hell, I don't even think they sell what I'm thinking in Hogsmeade."

Angela was really confused now.  "And, um, where would they sell it?"

"Well, it's unfortunately more of a Muggle thing.  Ever hear of a place called Victoria's Secrets?"  He had a very serious look on his face, as if asking her where she put a gun or something.

Angela put her face in her hands.  "Oh, my, God, I cannot believe that I'm talking to you about this and that I was that slow."

Hermione giggled behind her.  Angela turned quickly and asked "What are you giving Ron for Christmas?"

At that Hermione's giggles ceased, and she blushed an even darker shade of pink.  "Well, I got him some Chudley Cannon's stuff…and, well, the rest is none of your business." 

Lupin chuckled at that.  "Well, you could always get him some Quidditch something.  He does need something to unwrap, from under the tree that is."  He gave her a sly smile, which she was reluctant to return.

Angela laughed and then told him to come closer.  "Don't worry about your poor Harry.  Let's just say I won't be eating that chocolate from my hand."  Now it was her turn to smile at Lupin while he looked surprised for a moment before booming out his laughter.

Angela bought a few school things that she needed and slipped out the door.  She saw the guys heading towards the Three Broomsticks.  They were all going to meet there at 12:30 and Angela saw that she still had twenty minutes, so she went quickly to the Quidditch shop alone.  She picked out some things that she thought that Harry would like and was on her way to the Three Broomsticks when she felt the familiar tingle in her fingers.  She dropped her purchases and turned quickly around.  The sight made her gasp.

There were at least thirty robed and hooded men led by Voldemort walking towards her.  She forgot momentarily that they couldn't recognize her and a shiver of fear ran down her back before she came to her senses and calmly turned around, picked up her packages and began to head back into town.  The Quidditch shop was the furthest one down the street, right on the edge of town, and she was trying to walk as inconspicuously back into the main part of town while screaming for help in her mind.  She had left all of her robes on and had her own face covered, so she knew that they hadn't recognized her when she had turned, nor had they seen the look of terror on her face. 

She felt her hands explode in pain yet again and she had a hard time keeping hold of her packages.  She was about to drop them all and do the pain relief spell when Draco came running out of the Three Broomsticks, followed closely by the rest of her friends.  She breathed for the first time since she had seen the Deatheaters when she saw Draco running out of the pub.  They stopped dead about fifty feet from her, looks of pure fear on their faces.  Angela kept walking, though she was sure she wouldn't be able to hold her things very much longer.  She saw Ron run into the twin's shop and came back out with Fred and George in tow.

Grimacing at the pain she could see Harry clutching his scar hard and tears pouring down his face.  "_Fuck this,_" she thought to herself, dropping her things and turning around.  She quickly muttered the pain relief spell on her hands, and heard Hermione muttering the same, hopefully on Harry.  She had stopped about ten feet from them and turned, looking Draco in the eye.  She had never seen someone more afraid in her life and she followed his line of sight to one Deatheater in particular.  "_That must be Lucius,_" she thought, noting that he was right next to Voldemort.  She turned around and faced the oncoming people, if one could call them that.  She felt two hands, one on each of her shoulders and she looked up to see Harry and Lupin on either side of her.  She could also see Draco, Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George lining up on her left. 

"_Dear God, what have I brought these people into?_"  She took a step forward and looked at Voldemort.  The group had stopped and was looking at them now, well Angela figured they were.  The black masks that they wore hid their faces.  Voldemort, however, was focused on her. 

"What do you want?"  She asked, surprised to hear someone else's voice coming from her.  Voldemort looked surprised for a moment too, before glaring at her again.

"We've come for the girl.  Harte."

"There's no Harte here."  Angela looked him in the eye as she said it.  "_I knew this whole lying thing would come in handy someday,_" she thought as she watched him.

"I don't believe you.  And we are prepared to burn the town to the ground to find her.  Dead or alive."

Angela knew that he meant it.  She wanted to stall a few more minutes, hoping to convince him that she wasn't here after all.  "What makes you think she's here?"

"I know a great deal more that you think, hag.  Now stand aside, or tell me where she is."

"Let me think…nope, I don't think I will."  And with that Angela pulled off her head coverings while muttering the reverse for the disguise charm.

All of the Deatheaters gasped as she did it, but Voldemort just smiled.  "So, Harte, we meet again.  And I know your dirty little secret now."

"Dirty my ass.  Why the fuck don't you just leave us the hell alone?"

"Tut tut, such language from a lady.  I can't do that.  My plans are too important to leave you be."

"Right.  And I care about your stupid fucking plans because…?"  She sneered at him.

Voldemort leaned his head back and laughed.  "You have nerve Harte.  You speak to me as even my followers fear to do."

"That's because your followers are spineless bastards, and bitches, who don't know any better than to kiss the hem of your shitty robe and call you 'Master.'"

This obviously angered the Deatheaters as quite a few wands pointed her way.  Angela was fairly sure they would have all tried to kill her if Voldemort hadn't lifted his hand to tell them not to.

"Really, now.  There is no reason to insult my followers, or me.  I was simply making an observation on your courage, a compliment if you will."

"I see every reason to insult you.  You know, it's funny how you seem much 'braver' around these assholes that I'm sure would stab you in the back the first chance they had than you are when it's just me and you.  Of course, then it's usually right down to business.  Why haven't you tried to kill me yet?"

"I no longer want you dead.  I'll settle for your friends."  He nodded his head curtly and soon there was a wand or more on each of the people behind her.  "Simply come with me, and they won't be hurt."  He extended his hand to her.

Angela looked at it for a moment and then laughed, a cold mirthless laugh that could have rivaled Voldemort's any day.  "You should know by now, Tom, that I'm not stupid.  Nor am I a simple witch.  I'm not going to fall for the oldest trick in the 'evil' book.  Come with me and I won't hurt your friends' my ass."

With that she raised both of her arms and said "_Caterva attollo!_"  Suddenly all of the Deatheaters rose off of the ground.  Many began squirming and Angela laughed coldly again.  "It's not too fun up there, is it?  _Iacio longe!_"  The entire group flew about two hundred feet through the air before landing.  Only a few got up and they seemed to be nursing broken limbs. 

She then pointed her hand at Voldemort.  "_Everbero!_"  He didn't have time to block the curse as he was looking in shock at his followers behind him and it knocked him back ten feet from where he was standing.  Angela walked quickly over to him, shaking off Lupin's hand as he tried to hold her back.  "Let her go," she heard Harry say. 

She kicked Voldemort as she got to him, her anger taking over her actions.  She saw him wince as her foot met his side, but didn't care.  "You're never going to learn, are you?  You're no longer the biggest kid on the playground, and that irks the hell out of you, doesn't it?"

Voldemort gave her a look of pure hatred that Angela was sure would have sent most people running away.  She simply returned it with one of her own.  "Harte, I will get you.  Some day, when you least expect it and with your back turned if I have to."  With that and a small pop he Disapparated, leaving behind all of his followers and a very pissed Angela Harte.

Angela screamed in frustration, causing Harry to run to her.  "Angela!  Angela, are you ok?"

"Damn it, Harry, I'm fine!"  She shook his hand off of her arm, wanting very much to hit something right then.  The others soon joined Harry right by Angela and she wanted to scream at them, tell them to leave her alone.  But she knew that she didn't want that.  What she wanted was for Voldemort to leave her alone, but she knew that it wouldn't happen until he was dead.  The more she thought about it the madder she got and soon she was crying.  It was how she often let out her anger, even when she was small.  Being angry was one of the few ways that she would cry.

She turned from the group, embarrassed for them to see her cry.  She was shaking all over as the hot tears rolled down her cheeks.  She felt Harry's arms on hers again, and this time she didn't shake them off.  She leaned back onto him and accepted his comfort.  Soon she was crying onto his shoulder, making his shirt wet with her tears.  Not long after she composed herself enough to look up.  Lupin, Fred, George, and Ron had gone over to where the Deatheaters were and had bound them, taking their wands.  The majority had been knocked out, though several were conscious with broken arms or legs.  Angela noticed that there was one missing, the one that Draco had been looking at and she turned and looked at him, questioningly.

"Draco, your father was one of them, wasn't he?"

Draco nodded.  "He disapparated before you threw them all.  Fucking pussy." 

Angela could see Draco was angry too and looked at Harry before walking over and giving Draco a hug.  He stiffened in surprise for a moment before returning the affection that she gave him.  "You deserve better than that asshole for a father, Draco."

"Yeah, well, I couldn't exactly pick him out, could I?"

Just then Lupin came over said, "I think one of us should go back to the school and get Dumbledore.  Hermione, why don't you go?"

"You can use our fireplace and Floo there," George volunteered, leading the way.  Hermione nodded and followed close behind.

Lupin looked at Angela with something akin to reverence before he spoke again.  "Angela, I…I don't know what to say.  That was amazing!"

"Yeah, well, he's not dead, so it wasn't good enough."

"Angela, you captured thirty-two Deatheaters.  That's a lot of cells in Azkaban that are going to be full tonight because of you.  I'd say that's pretty good."

Angela looked at him fiercely before she said, "It's bloody well not fucking good enough for me."

Lupin looked stunned as she turned and walked back down the street and picked up her things that she bought.  They seemed so mundane now, the holidays and all.  She didn't know why she had let Voldemort get to her this time but it bugged her that she had.  "_Leave it to God damned Voldemort to ruin my holidays._"  She turned and walked in the direction of the Weasley's shop, intending to use their fireplace and Floo back to her room where she could sulk properly when she ran right into Dumbledore.

She looked up at him, concern etched on his face and shining in his eyes.  "Are you all right, Angela?  Hermione said you were…crying."

"Yeah, well, I was a bit miffed at…" she wanted to add a list of cuss words to his name, but refrained, "Voldemort.  All of the Deatheaters are over there.  Well, most of them.  Lucius Malfoy disapparated just before I threw the rest of them over there.  In the words of his son, 'Fucking pussy.'"

Dumbledore raised his eyebrow at this, a slight smile in his eyes.  "If you don't mind, Angela, could you come over there with me?"

Angela sighed and set her things down again.  She didn't say anything, she just turned and walked in the direction of the Deatheaters where Lupin, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, and the twins were now working on waking the unconscious ones and trying to get the hurt ones to stop moaning in pain.  Angela reached them and she saw several heads turn her way.  She was still angry and it annoyed her that she couldn't see their faces so she flicked her hand and all of the masks flew off of them.  She looked around at all of them with disgust.

"How can you cowards call yourselves human?  What the fuck do you get out of following an ass like Tom Riddle?"  She no longer cared what Dumbledore thought of her language as her anger returned, looking around at all the faces scowling at her.

An impish man near her answered, "It is better to be the right hand of the devil than in his path.  As long as we serve him we are immune."

"HA!  You're trying to tell me that he never did the Cruciatus curse on you if he wasn't happy?  Or that he's never threatened to kill you if you displeased or failed him?"  The man looked at the ground, shaking his head.  "That's what I thought.  Perhaps you should think things through before you blindly follow the next guy.  Actually, now that I think about it, your next guy should be a Dementor.  That'll be fun to follow.  See how much your beloved 'Master' cares now?"

Angela resisted the urge to spit on the already degraded man and instead looked around at the faces, memorizing each one.  A few she recognized from her dreams and a few resembled students at Hogwarts, mostly Slytherins of course.  They were all awake now, and the others were making sure that their ropes were tight around them.

"How're they going to go anywhere, Albus?"  Angela didn't see anyone coming to take them off, though she doubted that a huge police van would show up to cart them all off.

"Well, the ministry will be here.  They will take care of it." 

Just then fifty ministry officials Apparated a few feet from where all of the Deatheaters lay.  They walked over and thanked Harry and the others for tying them up.  Arthur Weasley walked over and thanked Angela.  Angela still had the nagging feeling that it wasn't good enough, but she didn't tell this to Arthur as she had to Lupin.  She simply nodded and shook his hand.  The Ministry officials soon had all of them rounded up and Disapparated with them in tow.

Everyone looked exhausted and Angela felt a wave of guilt as she thought about how she had acted earlier.  She looked at Lupin and said, "I'm sorry.  I didn't mean what I said earlier.  No, I take that back.  I meant it, but I shouldn't have said it like I did."  

Lupin gave her a lopsided smile.  "That's alright, I understand."

Angela smiled back at him before turning to Harry.  "I'm sorry I yelled at you too." 

Harry pulled her into a hug, saying, "Don't even worry about it, honey.  You were mad.  I understand completely."

"_How did I get so lucky with this bunch?_" she wondered to herself yet again.  She turned to the rest and said "I'm sorry I dragged you all into this.  You shouldn't have to deal with my Voldemort problems."

The others let out sounds of protest.

"You didn't drag us here!"

"It's not your fault!"

"He's the bastard who should be apologizing!"

"We're here to help.  That's what friends are for."

Angela smiled at them all.  "I'll try not to almost get you killed every time we go somewhere."

"Aw, what's the fun in that?" Fred quipped, getting laughter from all around.

"Don't worry so much, Angela.  You're worth it."  Ron's comment brought murmurs of assent from the whole group.  Angela couldn't help but blush at this, feeling almost as if she would cry again.  "_Why am I so worth it?_" she thought to herself.

"Well, it's because you're a great person," she heard Draco say.  She looked up at him, surprised.  Everyone else looked at him confused.

"What-how did you…?"  Angela stammered.

"Um, I heard you ask a question, just thought I would answer it."  Draco looked around sheepishly.

"I didn't…didn't say it out loud, did I?"

The rest of the group shook their heads, still looking at Draco.  Suddenly it occurred to Angela what had happened.  "_Draco, can you read my mind?_" she thought.  She was looking right at him as his eyes got wide.  "_Holy shit.  We're gonna have to talk about this later._" 

Draco nodded but Angela could have sworn she heard him say, "_Talk?  What the hell is there to talk about?_" 

"_The fact that you can read my fucking mind for one, Draco Malfoy._"

He looked surprised again, but she didn't hear any snide comments this time.


End file.
